Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess
by runeprincess
Summary: After dying, being reincarnated as Hinata Hyūga was the last thing on my mind. Now, I have to decide what I want to do with this second chance at life. Should I stick with the anime/manga and live life like the original Hinata? Or should I stray away and try to create an impact on the Hyūga clan by changing its corrupt ways? Decisions decisions... SI!Hinata
1. Chapter 1: Childhood Arc

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or I would have made Hinata a more badass character.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Childhood Arc**

 **Chapter one**

I always imagined myself dying a honorable death, probably from watching too much anime. Jumping in front of a bullet to save a friend, getting stabbed in the stomach just as I give the burglar that broke into my parent's house a finishing blow, pushing my younger sister out of the road as the speeding car hits me instead of her. You know, something along those lines. However, my actual death was far from that. In fact, my death was so boring that it pisses me off. I died in my sleep after a long night of watching Naruto. Seriously, how uncreative was that? I literally just laid down in bed, closed my eyes, and then died a few hours later. After twenty-one years of living a pretty simple life, it would just make sense if I could be memorable for once and go out with a bang. But, no that didn't happen. Instead, I am finding myself lying horizontally in complete darkness. Wherever I am at right now is very cramped and wet. Like, I am literally floating in some sort of liquid and my body is curled up into a ball from the lack of space. To be honest, I have no clue where I am at right now.

I always thought that I would either go to heaven or hell after I died. When I was alive, I was a Christian, but not a very good one. I didn't go to church and I really never read the Bible before. Judging that part of my life alone, some would say that I was on the path to hell. But, I'm a good person. I lived my life having decent morals and was never mean to anyone. I gave food and money to the homeless. I picked up litter. I treated my parents and siblings with respect. I made good grades, got a job, and went to college. I never stole. I never killed anyone. I never any sex before marriage… I actually died a virgin. Oh my God. Ignoring that, ignoring that. I did lie and curse a lot though. I don't know why I did, but both came natural to me and I am pretty good when it comes to my lying skills. Overall, in my opinion, I should be partying it up with Jesus right now in heaven.

But, I am not in either heaven or hell and I am really beginning to not like where I am at right now. I do not like hanging out in dark, tight spaces because I am a very claustrophobic person. So when I saw a glimmer of light rushing towards me, I became excited. I feel the liquid I am trapped in shake around as my body is being pulled closer to the light. At least I am going to heaven now. I guess the process from dying and going to the afterlife takes a few minutes, or whatever the concept of time in this place is. I really am going to miss my parents, siblings, friends, and family, but I can just watch over them until it is their time one day. I close my eyes and tense up my body as I pass through the light.

Expecting to be laying on a cloud in front of some large golden gates, I open my eyes and frown. While I cannot exactly see anything, I can make out that I am not chilling in the dark anymore. I can barely make out light and silhouettes, but I do not have a clue as to where I am at. I hear someone, or something, speaking in a language that I have no knowledge of, sounds a mixture of crying and squeals, and I am being lifted through the air. Am I flying? I can see light. Am I on my way to heaven now? Are these angels, or perhaps even God, talking right now? I hope they teach me how to understand them or at least give me by my eyesight soon. Being blind is not fun. Everything else around me is blurry. I try to lift my head up, but I couldn't move. What is going on? Suddenly, exhaustion overwhelms me from just attempting to lift my head and before I knew it I am back into the darkness.

I wake up again sometime later, not knowing how the concept of time works at wherever I am at, and I feel something soft and fuzzy wrap around my body and I am soaring through the air again before I land. Something that feels like hands caresses my face and I am being pulled into a tight embrace. What the heck is going on? If I am in heaven right now, shouldn't God be introducing himself to me or having an angel show me around, or at least give me the gift to see. Something tells me I am not in heaven or hell. I feel… alive.

But, that is impossible.

I know I died. I just know it.

Panic begins to bubble up in my chest as my instincts tell me to scream. So, I did. My scream comes out as a shrill wail and I feel tears forming in my eyes and falling out. What… I have never screamed like that before. The realization frightens me and causes me to wail even louder.

I hear a high-pitched foreign voice speak towards me, at least I think, and I feel my chest make contact with another warm body as something gently pats my back. I am being comforted. Who is comforting me?

Exhaustion hits me again like a ton of bricks and I fall back asleep once more.

This goes on for a long period of time until one day I am finally able to make out my surroundings. I am in a beige room looking into a pair of featureless large white eyes with a hint of lavender in them. The fair-skinned woman that is staring back at me has long, dark-blue hair with side bangs framing her face. She seems really exhausted and worn out as sweat was breaking from her forehead and heavy bags were formed underneath her eyes. She looks like she hasn't slept in weeks. Despite her current state, she gives me the sweetest smile and speaks to me in a language that I cannot understand. Even though I cannot understand, I know she is speaking in Japanese. Another perk from all those years of watching anime. Still, why and who is this woman holding me and where the hell am I at?

Suddenly, I feel something grab ahold of me and I scream in surprise as I am being lifted in the air. I have felt myself soaring through the air many time already, and for awhile I had convinced myself I was flying with angels. Seeing for myself actually flying through the air without impaired vision for the first time is a sickening feeling. I feel like puking. As the nausea goes away, I realize that I am being swaddled in a lilac blanket and whatever is carrying me right now spins me around and I am staring into another pair of white eyes, except these didn't have any traces of lavender in them. The beige-skinned man I am looking at has long, brown hair with a receding hairline. I notice he is giving me more of a prideful smirk instead of a warm smile like the woman had on her face.

Damn, these are some weird looking giants. Why are they passing me around as if I were a fragile baby… Wait a minute. I stare hard at the person holding me and I figure out who he is and finally realize where I am at. I am staring into the eyes of Hiashi Hyūga and that means I have either been reincarnated into Hinata or Hanabi Hyūga's infant body from the Naruto universe!

What?... No way. Are you freaking serious?! This cannot be real right now. I am not a baby. I can't be! I'm suppose to be dead and in heaven! I have to be dreaming.

Panic grows in my chest as I shook with anxiety. Not being able to control the wild emotions that were overwhelming me at the moment in this tiny body, I did what all babies do best: I begin to cry. Tears stream down my cheeks as I feel my face grow red and hot. Hiashi's brow narrow and he frowns, saying something before handing me back to the woman. The woman looks at Hiashi and laughs as she begins to lightly rock me and beautifully sings what I assume is a lullaby. I stop crying for a moment to take reflect on my situation. Judging from Hiashi's reaction of my crying and not knowing how to handle it, I am going to assume at the moment that I am in Hinata's body. I am also judging this theory from the fact that her mother is healthy and alive as she is holding me and attempting to put me to sleep. It has never been shown in the manga or anime, but many fans has said that Hinata's mother died giving birth to Hanabi so I am just rolling with that for now.

Even if I am reincarnated, why the hell am I in the Naruto universe?! Shouldn't I have been reincarnated into an infant on Earth? That would have made more sense. But, since when do reincarnated people remember their past lives. I can clearly remember everything from my past life, my family, friends, college, work… everything! Do all reincarnated babies remember their past life and then just slowly lose those memories over time? When I was alive in my world, I read my share of articles on children who claim they can remember bits and pieces from a "past life". This has to have something to do with watching Naruto before I died. When I was asleep, did my soul get sucked into the anime? Nah, that is just crazy. I know I am not dreaming because… well it is hard to explain. I have this feeling that I know I died. It is weird. Whatever happened is done and over with. I am, possibly, stuck in Hinata Hyūga's body and I am going to have to force myself to accept that and live her life now.

Which, wouldn't be so bad if she didn't have a sucky one for the first fifteen years of it. Her father treated her bad, she had very low self-esteem and a lot of confidence issues, Neji bullied her and almost killed her ass, and the list goes on. On the bright side, Hinata is my favorite character in Naruto and if I have to be reborn in anyone's body, I am glad it was hers. But, just because I am obsessed with Naruto doesn't mean I want to live in it! I know many shitty things happen and I will not start to name them because I will just have another panic attack and scare everyone again. I need to take this in baby steps, literally and metaphorically, by focusing on my life first. I need to grow up and not act as meek as the original Hinata. I just need to mix in my own personality with hers so I can fit in with the rest of the Hyūgas because Hinata wasn't only just timid. She was kind, caring, and put other's needs before her and I can play that role easily. Ugh, I guess I am receiving that exciting moment that I have been craving for. Why couldn't I have just opened my eyes to those golden gates?

* * *

The first few months of my new life to some time for me to get used to. You know, it isn't easy getting adjusted to a new life when you just spent twenty-one years living your old one. I went through a phase of depression and anxiety. Anxiety because here I am alive in another realm while my parents and sister are alive in a totally different realm, world, universe, whatever it is called. Anxiety because I know that I will never be able to see them again. That is when the depression crept in the more I thought about them and my past life. Being dead would've been a totally different experience for me. I would be happy and free and will be able to watch down on my family from above. I will at least not be able to worry about them. Now, I am going bat shit crazy thinking about them. How are they handling my death? What would think they if they knew that I was actually trapped in a different body in a dangerous universe? My depression caused me to become more of a silent and unhappy baby, which greatly worried Hinata's parents. But, I didn't care. I didn't consider them my parents. They are nothing but characters out of an anime who I just so happen had the misfortune of being their daughter.

After awhile, I slowly adjusted to my new life. Though I miss my old life like crazy, I have been slowly coming to the reality that this is my new life now and there is nothing I can do to change it. No matter how many times I cried or begged or prayed. Nothing has changed so far and it never will. This is my new life now until I die and find myself within another body in a different universe or officially in heaven. So, without really having any other choice, I got my act together and started play the role of the Byakugan Princess.

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I have realized two things over these past few months since I have decided to accept my new life. One: I hate being a baby. It is the most boring thing I think I have experienced. Most my days was spent laying in a crib, staring at the ceiling, unless I was being fed, played with, loved on, or shown off. These past few weeks have been a little bit more interesting for me. I have began to understand the words that was being spoken to me such as "Hinata-chan", "Okaa-san", and "Otou-san" though I couldn't say them back just yet to my annoyance. Since I am an adult stuck in a baby's mind, I thought I would be able to easily speak back to them. For some reason, I am able to understand the Japanese language just as well as English. But, the inability to be able to speak back from being a baby limits me and it is just so frustrating. At least I get some excitement out of Hiashi when I attempt to mimic his words in my baby gibberish to show that I understand what he was saying and can tell he is proud of me. Maybe I am on the right path to give Hinata, I mean myself, a better life since I am showing progress so quickly. It is going to take me awhile before I see myself as Hinata and Hiashi as my father. I think I can grow a close relationship with him if I can meet the expectations he is going to have for me in a couple of years. The woman, on the other hand, who I learnt that her name is Haruna, is someone that I instantly connected with. She reminds me so much of my mother from my past life, so that helped eased my anxiety and depression, and she's the one that I spent most of my time around. She is a very affectionate, kind, and patient woman who has taken care of all my needs at anytime during the day and all through many nights.

Many of these needs consist of me being sick which brings me to the second thing that I realized: I understand why Hinata acted so weak and feeble. I am always sick and nobody can diagnose me with anything. When I swallow something, sometimes I puke it back up. I am underdeveloped physically for my age. I was born three months early and I am still considered underweight. My muscles are very weak so I have a hard time grasping things such as a rattle or supporting a bottle between my hands. Being born in the winter season didn't help my case as I was always catching a cold. To me, it seems like whatever illness I have goes away as I grow older since Hinata never shown any signs of sickness in the anime or manga. She was really short and skinny so that's why she wore baggy clothes as a child because she didn't feel comfortable in her body. I think that is also why she struggled with training the Gentle Fist because she grew tired easily, clumsy, and wasn't up to par in the strength department due to the effects of this illness. My goal is to overcome all of these obstacles early on in life so I don't get branded as a failure in Hiashi's eyes. If I am going to be living Hinata's life, I want to enjoy it and not be miserable.

Even though everyone knows I am not going to be walking at the average age like every other baby in Konohagakure, I have the advantage of being able to speak before them. Whenever I was alone in my crib, I would practice and whisper words out loud until I got them down pat. At only eight months old, I surprised everyone day as I succeeded in babbling some words out of my mouth. "Okaa-san? Okaa-san. Okaa-san! Okaa-san! Okaa-san!" When I realized that I could speak, I grew very happy and shouted the word over and over again. I was sitting in the high chair while Haruna was preparing lunch for me and Hiashi as he was doing some paperwork at the kitchen table. When they both heard me speak, they instantly jerked their heads towards me with mouths agape.

"D-did our daughter just talk?" Hiashi asks his wife in amazement.

"S-she did!" she replies, rushing over to me. "Hinata-chan! Sweetie, can you speak for Okaa-san and Otou-san again?"

I nod my head. "Okaa-san!"

"She can talk!" Haruna cheers, clasping her hands together. She looks over at her husband. "It appears that I have won our bet. She said my name first!"

Damn that he gets defeated, Hiashi makes his way over to me. "Come on, you know that you want to say Otou-san for me!" Oh, I know I can Hiashi. However, it is more fun to watch the Head of the Hyūga clan beg and dance around like a circus monkey.

I shook my head and shriek, "Okaa-san!"

Haruna almost falls to the floor from laughing so hard as Hiashi's face grows red in embarrassment and sighs. He leans in and whispers in my ear. "Hey, do not make me come across as a fool to your mother. Cut me some slack for your old man!" Even though he is strict and stern by nature, Hiashi becomes a little softie when it comes to his wife and daughter.

I decide to give him the benefit of the doubt and stop torturing the poor guy. "Otou-san!"

Hiashi's face lit up at the sound of his paternal name as he ruffles my small patch of dark-blue hair. "That's my little girl," he tells me.

"I guess we are even now," Haruna teases as she comes up by Hiashi's side and wraps her arms around his waist.

Hiashi kisses the top of her head. "I cannot believe Hinata-chan is already saying mother and father at such a young age and can understand at times what we are saying to her," he brags. "She is going to be a genius when she's older." Nah, that title is going to be given to Neji. Sorry. Though, it is kind of strange to hear Hiashi praising Hinata, um, me.

"She is going to make a fine leader to this clan one day," Haruna says as they both stare at me with doting eyes.

A light bulb went off in my head as soon as she said that. I know what I want to do during this lifetime. I want to become the leader of the corrupt Hyūga clan. I need to become the leader. Mentioning Neji a moment ago, I can have him help me run the clan to nullify the Main House and Branch House. We can rebirth the clan and all come together as one House and get rid of that monstrous Cursed Seal for good. As he gets older, Neji is going to experience the death of his father and learn the ins and outs of the two Houses and how truly shitty the Hyūga clan really is. I need to somehow befriend him when he is young, possibly before the death of his father. That way, hopefully, he isn't going to hold a grudge against me and hate me. Another choice is to stop his father's death, but no one will want to hear a toddler's wild "imagination". Knowing my luck, Danzo or Orochimaru will somehow get their evil hands on me if I get branded as someone who can foresee the future. So, I need to keep all my knowledge to myself.

The first baby steps I need to take to become the future Head of the Hyūga clan is to start training as soon as possible. I need to turn around my disadvantages and improve in areas such as strength and stamina. I need to start teaching myself how to walk and forcing myself to be not become physically delayed and allow for those medical-nins to be right. As soon as I learn to walk, I need to toddle around all the time to build up stamina in my lungs and strength in my leg muscle. Heck, I can kill two birds with one stone and build up strength in my arms by carrying two toys around while I walk. I really would need to do this all in secret because I would make an odd sight by marching around room, lifting my stuffed animals up and down, and talking to myself.

I know there is a lot more baby steps I need to take, and that training is going to be the longest baby step that I am going to take, but I just need to take things slowly and work hard everyday. I mean, I am a baby. I am not doing anything else with my life except pooping in my diaper… which I should really start using the toilet now that I think about it since technically I am an adult in a baby's body… ignoring that, ignoring that!

* * *

I finally learned how to walk at around at sixteen months old. I was still a little delayed, but my goal was to learn to walk before I was eighteen months old so I am on the right track. Even though I practiced and taught myself, I let Haruna and Hiashi think that they taught me. Either way, they were just relieved that I am going to end being a normal and functioning toddler after all. I still have that illness lingering around in my body, but the symptoms are not as severe as they were during the first year of my life. I can manage to digest food now properly without vomiting it back up and I am slowly building up my strength and stamina.

After learning to walk, I decided one day to explore the Hyūga compound and search for Neji to start creating a bond with him. I have only met him a handful of times in brief exchanges when Hiashi and his twin brother, Hizashi, attended meetings together and brought us along. My only interactions with Neji have not been important enough for him to remember me by since he was too young. The only thing he did at most to me was giggle, stare, and mutter incomplete words and sentences. He would never admit it, but I knew that Hiashi is proud at the fact that his daughter, who is a whole year younger than Neji, can participate in full conversations with adults better than his brother's own son can.

I slid open my bedroom door and poke my head out into the hallway. The coast is clear. I quickly stumbled down the hall, making my way by memory to the Branch House. At this moment, I am suppose to be taking a nap so no one is going to check up on me for a while. Every now and then, I have to peek around a corner or wedge myself behind a stairway when I hear footsteps or people talking. Somehow, to my luck, I made it to the Main House's courtyard without getting caught. Which, now that I think about it, no one is allowed to activate their Byakugan at the compound unless they are training or otherwise authorized to because of privacy reasons.

I travel across the beautiful courtyard, being careful not to mess up any gardens or decorations, and climb up the stairs leading to the Branch House's porch. Unlike other compounds in Konohagakure, ours only has two large estates that houses the Main House members and the Branch House members. Inside these estates, they are sectioned off into living quarters so each family has their own set of bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, and living area. I am really not sure about the Branch House, but on each floor of the Main House is a training room and a commons area where people can train or hang out. Having a father who is the head of our clan, our living quarters are bigger than everyone else's and we live on the very top floor.

I make my into the Branch House and instantly head to Neji's room. I am thankful that he and his father live on the first floor so I do not have to increase my chances of getting caught by having to expand my searching range. I raise up my tiny and bony fist and gave a few knocks on his door. It slowly slides open and a cute, little Neji reveals himself. He widens his eyes at his unexpected visitor and gives me a toothy grin.

"Hewllo, Hinata-chan! What awre you doing here?" he asks me, cocking his head slightly to the side in confusion. Even though he speaks well for a two-and-half year old, I can still hear the adorable mispronunciations in his words.

I throw my hands up in the air to express my excitement. "I want to play with you!" I tell him. Over the past sixteen months of being Hinata, I have grasped the concept on properly acting like a young child without exposing any adult mannerisms.

Neji raises his eyebrow, appearing fretful. "Where is Hiashi-sama and Haruna-sama? I do not want to get in trowble."

I hold a finger to my lips. "Shhh, we won't if you don't tell your father.

Neji hesitates for second before eagerly nodding his head and allows me into his bedroom, closing the door behind us. He picks up a panda stuffed animal and a grey wolf stuffed animal. "Wanna pwlay blocks with my animals?"

I clap my hands together! "Yeah! I want the panda!" In reality, I would rather play "Ninja" and somewhat enhance my skills with him, but I need to do what he likes first in order to better my relationship with him.

Neji shakes his head and hands me the wolf instead. "No, Pandie is mine! You can have KeKe," he snaps as I suppress a smirk. The serious and prideful Neji that I grew up watching is getting defensive over a stuffed panda. I forget that Neji is only a toddler and is going to act like a toddler. Still, this is hilarious to me!

Over the next thirty minutes, I force myself to not pull my hair out as I built towers with blocks and pretend that our stuffed animals are monsters and terrorize our city and knock everything over. Actually, I am quite enjoying myself since I find some fun in destroying the buildings we make and hearing Neji's infectious giggle which, in return, makes me giggle. Why can't moody teenager Neji be sweet and friendly like baby Neji? However, what is annoying me is that the boy grow stubborn as hell when it comes to stack the blocks. They have to be lined up precisely and look like an actual house and I can't get through his thick head that out creations do not have to look neat if we are just going to end up knocking them over. Suddenly, Neji's door slides open and making us both jump. Slight dread grew inside of me as I caught sight of an extremely angry Hiashi with his arms crossed. Hizashi is standing beside of him, mimicking his older brother's body posture.

"Hinata-chan!" my father growled. "What is the meaning of this? Sneaking out of your room? You were suppose to be taking a nap!"

Ugh, he's scary when he's mad and I do not like being yelled at. "I-I wasn't tired and I wanted to play with Neji-nii-san," I explain. At least I am not lying.

Hiashi shakes his head. "That does not matter. You are only a toddler and you need your naps whether you like it or not."

Hizashi glances over at Hiashi with a baffled expression. "Hiashi-sama, I am surprised that your daughter has managed to find her way all the here to my son's room when she's only been here once."

Hiashi flickers his eyes over to his younger twin brother. "I am not. She is a bright child, but right now she is being a disobedient child." He sticks his hand out. "Come, now! We are heading now before your mother worries herself to death. She is not happy with you."

I expected for Hiashi or Haruna to come looking for me eventually so I am not at all surprised by his reaction. I reach out and hug Neji. "I had fun playing with you, Nii-san! Maybe we can do it again soon!"

Neji gives me a sad expression and nods his head in response. I get up and take my father's hand as we walk out of my cousin's room. "Wait!" I hear Neji cry as he pushes past his father, carrying his stuffed wolf. We stop walking as I cast my eyes over to him while Hiashi stares him down with narrowed eyes. "I want you to have KeKe. He hewlps me sleep bewtter, but now I have Pandie. So, Keke can hewlp you sleep bewtter now!"

I take KeKe from his hands and give him a warm smile. "Thank you, Nii-san! I promise to nap with him later."

Clutching the wolf in my hands, Hiashi and I set off back to our living quarters. Our short trip back there is very quiet as he did not say one word to me or attempt to question me. I try to read his facial expressions, but they are hard and blank. Instead of stopping me off at my bedroom, like I was expecting, we walk into the living area where I found my mother sitting on the couch, sewing. I instantly feel bad as I notice the worried look written all over her face. As soon as she sees us come, Haruna shoots up from the couch and strides across the room. She bends down and embraces me in a tight hug.

"Oh, I am so glad you are okay, Hinata-chan!" she exclaims. She pulls me away and runs her hand through her hair. "This is unlike you! Why did you do that?"

"I wasn't tired and I wanted to play with Neji-nii-san," I repeated, telling her the same thing I told Hiashi.

She looks up at her husband who shrugs and then back at me. "Well, tell us next time if you want to do something. There is a time and place for everything."

"Well, I wouldn't have to sneak off to play with Nii-san if only Otou-san and Oji-san can just get along," I say before being able to stop myself. Crap! I'm too young to know about the feud and dynamics between the Main House and Branch House.

Haruna gasp as Hiashi glares me down. "What did you just say?" he asks, grabbing my arm.

Okay, okay. Just calm down and just play baby! I jerk away from him, ran behind Haruna and bury my face into her skirt, hiding from Hiashi. "You scared her, Hiashi-kun," Haruna scolded as she ruffles my hair. "People talk, you know. She must have heard it in passing one day. You know how children can retain information and blurt it out at any moment."

I poke my head around my mother's leg as I saw Hiashi sigh, pinching the brink of his nose. "With Hinata-chan, I often forget that I am speaking to a one year old. Her communication skills are just too advanced for her age."

"That just means we have a gifted and intelligent daughter," Haruna reassures. "As we always hoped for." She arches an eyebrow. "Maybe you should start arranging playdates between her and Neji-kun."

Hiashi frowns. "My daughter is not going to associate herself with children of the Branch House."

Haruna places her hands on her hips. "Our daughter has no children to play with in the Main House. The child closest to her age is five and a five year old is not going to want to play with a one year old."

"Well, she is going to start training when she turns two in six months," Hiashi replies. "So, she is not going to have time to play with other children anyways."

"Our daughter is not going to antisocial until she hits the Academy," Haruna snaps. "She needs to be around at least one child around her age to develop social skills. The Hyūga clan cannot have a socially awkward person as its leader!"

Haruna and Hiashi stare each other down intensely before my father finally gives in. "Fine, you win. A man cannot just simply disagree with his wife, especially one as beautiful and kind as you, my dear." He leans in and kisses her forehead. "I will arrange for Neji-san and Hinata-chan to have play dates twice a week until she starts training. Then, we will see from there."

"See, you can be a teddy bear when you to be," Haruna cooes as she plants a kiss back on her husband's cheek, making his cheeks grow red. She looks down at me and smiles. "Great, now you get to play with Neji-kun again really soon. Until then, let's put you down for that nap again."

I groan. Seriously, I still have to have nap time after all this nonsense? I can't wait until I'm older. "If you get up again, I will change my mind," Hiashi warns me as I nod my head in understanding.

As I laid in my crib, I did some quick thinking before sleep overcame me. Everything is going according to plan so far. I get to see Neji more to grow closer to him and I get to start training in a few months. I need to pay attention so I can pick up quickly because I do not want Hiashi to start yelling at me and shredding my own confidence. I know he cares for me, but the pressure that the Elder, his own father, puts on him makes Hiashi think about his clan's needs over his family's needs at times. I do not want the Elder to get into his ear that I am an unworthy and failing heiress. I need to meet everyone's standards and just stick to my plan without any distractions. If I can do that, maybe I can become the Head of the Hyūga clan one day and prevent Neji from spiraling into darkness and becoming obsessed with that density and fate crap. Because that shit was annoying to watch about in the anime and I am not bound to live through it.

 **Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of "Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess". I know that there are many fan-fics about an OC dying and coming to the Narutoverse. However, I haven't found much, if any, about an OC being reborn as Hinata. I have seen many as Sakura, but never about her. So, I am going to write one about living Hinata's life. Some parts is going to be canon, many parts isn't. If the whole story was to be canon, you might as well just go watch and read Naruto and just visualize it in Hinata's POV. I am very excited about this story and I hope my readers are, too.**


	2. Chapter 2: Childhood Arc

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or I would have given Hinata a mother.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Childhood Arc**

 **Chapter two**

Hiashi stuck to his word and over the next six months, Neji and I attended playdates together and began to form a tight bond. I don't know how he managed to arrange it without some sort of confrontation with the Elder, but he did. The only condition was that we have to have our playdates in my bedroom. Our playdates weren't nothing interesting, at least to me. We just did kiddy things such as playing with our stuffed animals, building blocks, and finger painting. With my time with Neji, I have come to realize that, despite being a toddler, he is very insightful and intelligent for his age. He seemed to have pick up the fact that something conflicting is going on between the Main and Branch House, but he doesn't seem to know exactly what. He hasn't spoke about it much, only once. Other than random moments like that catches me off guard, Neji is a pretty normal kid that is just living up to his title as a genius at a young age.

Also, like promised, Hiashi started training me for thirty minutes in the afternoon, twice a week, shortly after I turned two. I thought that I would be jumping straight into some Gentle Fist training. Nope, wrong. Instead, I get to practice stupid stances. The initial stance of the Gentle Fist is to put one leg in front of me and one leg behind me, one palm in front of me and one palm by my side. The front leg needs to be extended outwards while having the knees slightly bent and the back leg needs to be deeply bent. The Gentle Fist is a graceful yet deadly art so it requires being light and swift on my feet. Hiashi's strict nature shows through during our training sessions and firmly scolds me or whacks the back of my legs with a wooden cane whenever I don't slip into a form correctly to his standards. His scolding doesn't bother me because it helps me correct myself. What pisses me off, however, is the stupid whacks! They don't hurt. They are just annoying and I really want to shove that wooden cane up his ass whenever he uses it! But, I don't always get fussed at. Whenever I do something correctly, Hiashi gives me a nod of approval. He rarely ever compliments me so I just accept his nods as them.

Even though I am enjoying my time training and hanging around Neji, I've been growing a little restless lately from not being anywhere else except the Hyūga compound. I really want to go out and explore the rest of Konohagakure, but I know I cannot because technically I am only two years old. Actually, I believe any other toddler mine age has already been around the village multiple times. However, Hiashi and Haruna are a pair of very overprotective and hovering parents and need to know my whereabouts at all times and possibly does not want their sweet little heiress to be exposed to any negative influences. If they are not around me, I am around Kō, my caretaker, or another servant. Heck, they are even hesitate to leave me alone when I am getting put down for a nap because of my sneaking in search for Neji a few months back. So, when I found an opportunity one day to leave the compound and see the village I took advantage of it.

"My Otou-san is taking me to a festival tonight!" Neji brags to me after we just played an imaginary game of "Shinobi". Ever since his father started to teach him how to strike during their training with the Gentle Fist, Neji has insisted on playing that game during our last few playdates. This game actually helps me out a little because I am learning how to dodge and react because of Neji's barrage of attacks. Literally, the attacks are continuous and the boy is fast.

His words grabs my attention as I rose my eyebrows. This can be my chance to finally see the famous Konohagakure in person if I can just tag along with my cousin. "You are? I want to come!"

"I want you to come, too!" Neji says. "You just need to ask Hiashi-sama if you can come with us."

Crap, I forgot about having to ask permission to him. Another con about being a damn child. I can't wait until I'm older. I don't know if he will allow me to go or not. I sure as hell know that he will not allow my first trip outside of the compound with a member of the Branch House, even if it is his own brother. Maybe I can convince him to have Kō escort me. I won't be with Neji, but at least I will be free from this damn place for a few hours.

I shake my head. "I don't he will let me go with you two. I think they are still mad at each other." Neji finally came up with the conclusion that both of our fathers are angry with one another so I just decided to go along with it.

Neji's face drops. "Oh, yeah. I forgot. That's stupid!"

"It is okay," I tell him. "You can still have fun tonight!"

"Okay…" Neji replies unsurely. "I want to play Shinobi some more! I'm the good guy and you're the bad guy." I sigh. Great, being the bad guy equals punching bag and now I have to evade for my young life now again.

After our play date ended, I leave my bedroom and enter Hiashi's study. He doesn't really like when people enter his office without permission, an appointment, or knocking. However, I am his daughter so I am not obliged to do any of those things! I notice him jotting something down in a notebook as I toddle in. He glances up from his work, narrows his eyebrows, and goes back to writing.

"I am really busy, Hinata-chan," he warns me. "What is it that you need?'

I threw my hands up in the air in excitement. "I want to go to the festival tonight!"

"How did you hear about that?" he asks, not looking up.

"Neji told me he was going with Oji-san and I want to go as well," I reply.

Hiashi stops writing and glares at me. "You are not going to the festival with them," he snaps. "Do not even ask again or beg. The answer will be no."

I resist the urge to smirk. I knew he was going to react like that. Thankfully, I found a loophole. "What if Kō-san takes me?"

Hiashi raises his eyebrows, probably from the fact that his two year old daughter just thought of an alternative so quickly. "I do not know about that. I am not comfortable with allowing you to leave the compound without mine or your mother's supervision. I am sorry, but I am afraid you are still a little young."

I sigh. Time for Plan B. I run behind his desk and climb on top of his knee. Hiashi gives me a look of surprise as I widen my eyes and I give him the most innocent and sweetest expression that he has ever seen. "What's wrong? Do you not trust me to stay with Kō-san or trust Kō-san to take care of me?" I know that a two year doesn't have the capability to manipulate anyone at such a young age, but, hey, I have already proven that I am not your typical toddler and my parents know that.

Hiashi becomes flustered as his face grows slightly red. "N-no! I do, but…"

I kiss his cheek. "Then, you should let me go with him! You'll be the best Otou-san ever!"

Hiashi rubs his temples for a moment before replying. "Fine, Hinata-chan. I will allow Kō-san to take you to the festival tonight. I think otherwise, but you better not disobey him or you will not leave this compound again for a long time. Do I make myself clear?"

Score! My plan worked! See, Hiashi has a soft spot for his daughter. He just needs a little persuading. I nod my head and wrap my arms around his neck. "Thank you! I promise I will be good for him."

I jump down and exit the room. As I am leaving, I hear Hiashi mumble to himself, "I can't believe I just got outsmarted by a two year old."

Later that night, I find myself in my room as Haruna is helping me get ready for the festival. She had picked out a light pink kimono and I am currently wearing it. She pins a fake white flower to the side in my short hair and slides browns sandals on me. She take a few steps back to observe me and smiles. "You look so lovely," she tells me as I look into the mirror. She's right. I do look pretty cute.

"Why are you and Otou-san not attending the festival?" I ask. I would rather go with those two instead of Kō-san, no offense to him. I like him, but I know that an eleven year old is not going to like hanging with a toddler at a festival, no matter how much he fakes that he does, when he would rather spend it with his friends.

"He and I are too busy," she explains. For the second time that day, I resist the urge to smirk. They have not had anytime for themselves, or away from me, since I was born, so I know that "busy" is code word for bow chicka wow wow. "However, I am sure you will have a wonderful time with Kō-san. I am giving him some ryō to let you play some games with and buy food."

I clap my hands together. "Yay! I want to win some prizes!"

Haruna laughs and smoothes down my hair. "I am sure you will."

There's a knock on my door as it slides open. Kō steps in and bows. "I am sorry if I am interrupting anything, Haruna-sama," he says to her. "But, I am here to escort Hinata-sama to the festival." That is another reason why I do not like hanging around Kō. He gives me the -sama honorific and I find it ridiculous. I would be so humiliated if I was him, adding -sama to the end of my name. Like, he is nine years older than me! It is just so weird to me, but I understand why he has to say that since I am the future heiress. Neji tried that -sama crap with me and I squashed it instantly.

"You are fine," Haruna replies, giving him a kind smile. "Please take care of Hinata-chan while you are out. This is her first time outside of the compound and Hiashi-kun and I are just always worried about her."

"I understand your concerns, but I am certain Hinata-sama will be fine under my care," Kō assures her.

"I will hold you to that," Hiashi says as he walks into my room, making Kō's posture go from relaxed to stiff. Damn, he's scared shitless of my father.

"I will not allow anything happen to her or let her leave my watch," he promises.

Hiashi nods. "Good. Make sure Hinata-chan has dinner at the festival and she is only allowed to have one sweet thing to eat. I want you back with her in two hours after you leave. Do you understand?" Even when Hiashi speaks in a calm demeanor, it has a strong sense of authority behind it.

"Hai, Hiashi-sama," Kō-san says, bowing.

Kō takes my hand as we both leave the tense and awkward atmosphere that my father caused and exit the compound. Kō looks down at me and smiles. "Are you excited to be entering the village for the first time?"

"I am!" I reply, grinning.

As we enter the heart of Konohagakure, I gasp. Obviously, I have seen the village from watching the anime and reading the manga. However, seeing it in person is a different story. The buildings are all taller than I thought they would be. They aren't super tall like skyscrapers, but the average building is several stories high. The lights hanging around the roofs and lower walls of the buildings illuminated the village as they outshone the stars above, emphasizing the beauty of the village. Villagers are hustling and bustling everywhere as they visit all the different varieties of stands. Just by looking, I can easily differentiate the civilians from the Shinobi by their forehead protectors and by the way they walk if they were not wearing a forehead protector. Civilians are leisurely walking with relaxed body postures while Shinobi are walking with confidence and purpose, heads held high. Or buried in a saucy adult book if you are Kakashi. In the distance, I can just make out the faces of the past Hokage from Hokage Rock. It is crazy how whoever created those monuments did so with such precise of that current Hokage's appearance. It is so detailed! I wish I can see the other parts of Konohagakure such as the forests and Training Grounds, but I know I have to wait until I am older.

"Wow!" I whisper as I take in the scene around me.

Kō chuckles. "It is wow, isn't it? Come, on. Let's go find us something to eat before we look around."

We wandered up to a random stand and I widen my eyes as I recognize who is running it. It is Teuchi, the owner of Ramen Ichiraku. I do not see his daughter, Ayame, anywhere. Then again, she is only five years old than me so I don't think it would be wise for a seven year old to help run a restaurant. Teuchi throws a wide grin as he greets us. "Welcome! I hope you are enjoying yourselves tonight! What can I get you two?"

Kō looks down at me. "Is miso ramen okay with you, Hinata-sama?"

 _Only if you stop calling me Hinata-sama!_ I wanted to say. Instead, I nod politely. "Yes, with pork please." That is how Naruto eats his ramen and I just want to see what all the hype is about. Speaking of Naruto, I wonder how he is doing right now? Is the Third Hokage watching over him right now or is he just chilling at the orphanage until he enrolls at the Academy?

Kō gives me a strange look, distracting me from my thoughts. "Are you sure? I have never seen you eat pork before."

Well, I've never had miso ramen before and you suggested that for me. "Yes!" I reply, a little to loud in annoyance.

Teuchi laughs. "Determined to get what you want, huh?"

Kō sighs as I glance away in embarrassment. I didn't mean to speak so aggressively. After ordering our food, we sit down at the nearest table and I pull my chopsticks apart, taking my first bite of miso pork ramen with them. I swallowed and my taste buds burst with happiness. I understand now why Naruto is crazy over this stuff! I want to throw my chopsticks aside and slurp my bowl spotless, but that would be considered very unmannerly and rude of me as a Hyūga. Instead, I use very good etiquette as I properly finish off my meal.

I sit down my bowl. "That was very delicious!"

"I am glad you liked it. If you are done, let's go look around."

For the next while, I enjoyed myself as I listen to the music being played around me in beautiful melodies as I observe different stands and played some games for prizes. I realize that I suck at most of the games, but my luck turns around when I win the game where you toss a small ring and it has to land on top of the bottle. I am giving the choice to select my prize and I chose a toy version of kunai knives and shuriken. Now, I can finally kick Neji's ass the next time we play "Shinobi" and he forces me to be the bad guy. I mean, I can use these to train and better myself.

As we are browsing through a mask stand, I hear someone call my name. "Hinata-sama!" I spin around and see Neji running towards, his father trailing behind him. I do not get annoyed when he calls me Hinata-sama because he is around Kō and his father and he is expected to call me that.

"Hi, Neji-nii-san!" I squeal, hugging him.

"You said you weren't coming," Neji pouts, crossing his arms.

"Otou-san said that I could go if Kō-san brought me!" I explain. I show him my prize. "Look what I won at the Ring Toss!"

Neji widen his eyes and gasp. "Wow! That's so cool!" He glances up at Hizashi and tugs on his navy kimono. "Let's go to the Ring Toss next! I want to win what Hinata-same has."

Hizashi smiles down at his son and nods. "Sure," he replies. He flicks his eyes over towards me and briefly frowns before softening his facial features. Did I just imagine that or did he just glare at me? I know he doesn't have the best relationship with my father, but he shouldn't have any animosity towards me.

Kō suddenly grabs my hand and gently jerks me over to his side. "We need to be going now, Hinata-sama. Perhaps we look over at the clothing stand? I can get you a new outfit of your liking."

I scrunch up my face in confusion. "But, I am still looking at the masks," I lie. Why is he in such a hurry to leave?

Kō opens his mouth to say something, but Hizashi interrupts him. "We should be heading off as well. Come, on Neji. It is pleasure seeing you, Hinata-sama and Kō-san."

I can tell that last sentence isn't sincere as he rests his hand on Neji's back and guides him away from us. Neji turns his head and gives me a sad stare before paying his attention back to his father. Suddenly, it hit me. Kō does not want me to be associated with anyone from the Branch House, including Neji, outside of the compound. I stop dead in my tracks and yank my hand away from Kō. He whirls around and kneels down to get eye level with me.

"Is something a matter?" he asks, sounding slightly panicked.

"I want to walk around with Neji-nii-san!" I whined, putting on my best two year old act.

Kō is silent for a second, struggling to find the right words to say. Rarely anyone says no to the Head of the Hyūga clan's daughter and I know that Kō is very hesitant right now to go through with it. "I-I," he swallows. "I am sorry, Hinata-sama. Hiashi-sama instructed for you to be at my side at all times and no one else's."

"You don't exactly have to tell Otou-san that I spent some time with Nii-san," I tell him.

Not being used to my advanced communication skills for my age, Kō appears taken back at my statement. "Pardon?" he asks in disbelief.

"Nevermind," I mumble.

I sigh. I can't be too hard on him. He is only a kid who has high expectations giving to him to be my caretaker and I know he is too scared to even think about going against Hiashi's orders. I grab his hand again as we continued the rest of the festival. I am not enjoying it as much as I was earlier. It is just so stupid that the Main House and Branch House members cannot just get along. Why can't our clan just have normal rules and traditions like every other clan in Konohagakure? If they are so worried about the Byakugan getting stolen, why can't we all just get the dumb Curse Mark sealed on us, but not on foreheads where it is so obvious and humiliating? That way, we can just all come together as one House. Maybe I am just thinking nonsense since I do not know all the politics and background history of the Hyūga clan just yet. However, I do know that this whole system needs to change and I will make sure that happens when I become the heir.

After that night at the festival, my playdates with Neji decreased as my training sessions increased. Instead of seeing each other twice a week, I have only been seeing him once every other week the past couple of months. I instantly guessed the reason for that is because Kō ran his damn mouth to Hiashi about me back talking him and my father probably came up with the conclusion that Neji is becoming a bad influence on me and is punishing the both of us for our actions. Even though Neji never did anything wrong. During my training sessions, I have been promoted from practicing stances to actually learning simple strikes. Since I have not learned how to control my chakra just yet nor have I activated the Byakugan, Hiashi is just teaching me the major chakra points that I should always strike in my opponents unless otherwise.

"When am I going to have the Byakugan?" I ask him one day after a session.

"When you are older," he replies. "You are too young as of now."

"How old do you think I will be before I will get it?"

"It varies upon the person," Hiashi explains. "I awakened my Byakugan when I was around six." So, I should be able to awaken it within the next few years. I can't wait to be able to use the Byakugan! I want to be able to see chakra pathways, through buildings, and places that are meters away from me.

"How can I awaken it?" I ask.

"By using chakra," Hiashi replies. "By five-seven years old age, you should have enough chakra developed to send a little to your eyes and activate the Byakugan. It is within our bloodline so we are able to awakened it easily." Oh, that's easy enough. For some reason, I always thought it involved some intense training or process before one is able to enable the dōjutsu.

"Interesting," I tell him.

"Well, if that is all the questions you have then you are dismissed," he says.

"Okay," I say as I bow. Hiashi arches an eyebrow. "I mean, yes, sir." I bow again.

Hiashi nods. "Better." I turn to walk off before he stops me. "One more thing, Hinata-chan." I look at him again. "Your third birthday is coming up in a couple of months from now. We are going to have a special celebration for you involving both Main House and Branch House. This why I am increasing your training sessions lately. After you turn three, it will only get harder from there."

My heart drops at the mention of my upcoming birthday. That is the day that everything changes. Neji gets the Curse Seal branded on him, Hizashi gets his Curse Seal activated by his own brother, Neji gets traumatized from that, and the nail hits the coffin on his perspective of our clan once he finds out that his father gets killed. I have tried to push that day to the back on my mind these past couple of years, but now the day is coming and I need to do something to keep these events from happening. I know hands down that I can stop Neji from getting his Curse Seal, but perhaps I can stop the others from happening. For example, I can keep Neji from becoming traumatized and from Hizashi getting hurt if I continue strengthening my bond with Neji. In the anime/manga, it appears at Neji and Hinata met for the first time officially during her third birthday. Since I have been around him a lot, and we are very close, maybe his Hizashi won't show as much hatred towards me and Hiashi whenever they are watching us spar.

My father senses my lack of response and frowns. "Is there a problem?"

I snapped back into reality and shake my head. "No, sir. I am excited for my birthday and the hardships to come."

I exit the training room and stomp back to my bedroom. Damn fate for reincarnating me into Hinata after my death. Why couldn't have been anybody else? I've grown to attached to all these people and now I have to watch them get hurt? Hell, no. Not on my watch. I be damned if I have to watch Neji spiral down into darkness all over again. I do not want him to end of hating me and then trying to kill me at during the Chunin Exams ten years from now. Sure, they both get along after the fact. But, I want to always have a good relationship with Neji. I never want it to become negative and severed. As I walk into my bedroom, I toss myself onto my bed. I find KeKe, hold onto him tight, and swallow the lump that is forming in my throat as I try to clear my head of these terrible thoughts.

 **Author's Note: Hey everyone! I am glad my fan-fic has gained some interest after just one chapter! OC Hinata is only going to stay child for another few more chapters before graduating the academy and becoming a Genin. We all know that's when the real fun begins when she became a Shinobi.**

 **I've already had two people comment mentioning something about the pairing of Naruto/Hinata and Sasuke/Hinata. I have thought about both of those pairings for way later on down the road. I actually want your all's opinion about whether you would like to see a NaruHina pairing or a SasuHina pairing. My fan-fic isn't going to revolve around these pairings, but they will play a role. Depending which pairing I choose will affect how the fan-fic will go after a certain point. For example, the fan-fic with the NaruHina pairing is going to be SasuHina pairing. Now, I am not going to base what pairing I am going to choose based on everyone's answers, or will I hmm, but I just want to see what everyone thought. I haven't even chosen what the pairing is going to be yet, but I do have an idea on the path how I want the fan-fic to go if I choose a certain pairing. So, leave a review and tell me your opinion because I always like to know what my readers think.**

 **I am sorry if this chapter came across as too short or slow. The next one is going to be longer and involve more action so I am just building up to that point. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3: Childhood Arc

**Discalimer: I do not own Naruto or I would not have to say that I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Childhood Arc**

 **Chapter three**

I open my eyes as dread overwhelms me. It is my third birthday and I have never been more terrified in my entire short life. I have been planning for this day these past few months and, to be honest, I do not have a plan to change the upcoming events today. As a now three year old, I still have limited control on what I can do and people will think I am crazy if I start rambling on about things. Or, long shot though, some sort of genius or psychic if I am predicting something and it happens later. However, I doubt it because nobody will even pay attention to what a young hysterical child has to say anyways. I will just get a pat on the head and consoled or a lecture and sent off. Another reason why I do not have any plans created is because in the anime/manga the glimpses of Neji's past involving these tragic events were brief. From that, I do not have any knowledge of when these situations are going to happen and what happens directly afterwards. Instead, I have decided to play things by ear and make decisions on a whim when certain situations occur today. It probably isn't the best idea, but it is the best one I can come up with for now.

I hop out of my bed and make it up just as one of my nannies slides open my bedroom door and enters. "Oh, good morning! I was just coming to wake you up, but I see you are already ready for your special day."

I narrow my eyebrows. I know that Hiashi and Haruna are busy people, but I was kind of expecting for one of them to be the first person to greet me on my birthday. I guess they are finishing up the last details for today's arrangements. "Yeah," I reply grumpily. As you can tell, I am not in the best of moods right now.

My nanny gives me a worried look. "Is something wrong, Hinata-sama?"

The expression on her face makes me giggle. I always think it is funny whenever I get in a bad mood and my nannies and servants freak out. They act like I am going to tell Hiashi and then they will get blamed or killed or something along those lines. I shake my head. "No. I just want to get dressed and have breakfast."

After eating and getting ready for the day, my nanny escorts me to the Main House's courtyard where my father, Kō, and several other Main House members are waiting on me. My nanny bows and releases my hand as Hiashi takes it. He looks down at me with a serious look on his face. "Are you ready to go, Hinata-chan?" he asks.

I nod. "Where's Okaa-san?"

"She is preparing for tonight's birthday dinner for you," he replies. "Right now, we just have a formal arrangement involving your third birthday with the Branch House."

I pull the innocent act. "Oh, so that's mean I get to celebrate my birthday with Neji-nii-san and Oji-san? Yay!"

Hiashi sighs. "You will find out soon enough. Let's go."

Hiashi and I begin to walk as the rest of the Main House trails behind us. As we approach the area where the Branch House members live, I see a group of them gathered in the distance. Hizashi is standing in front of everyone while little Neji is by his side. As we get closer to them, I see Hizashi's face grow from anger to sorrow and I know why. His happy natured son, who always has a smile on his face, is about to get branded with the Curse Seal and be ranked as another servant to us. Except, in his case, his job duties consist of training with me and protecting me at all cost. We stop walking as we stand several feet apart from one another, neither man daring to cross over the imaginary line that separates the Main and Branch House.

After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Hizashi is the first to break it. "So, Hinata-sama is turning three years old. Congratulations."

"Thank you," my father says back.

As they make small talk, I glance over at Neji and smile. I have not seen him a couple of weeks so I am happy to see him right now. Neji smiles back and waves and then puts his hand up to his mouth to whisper to his father, though I can still hear him. "She looks nice today, Otou-san! Don't you think?"

Hizashi looks down sadly at his son, not responding.

Neji widen his eyes and lowers his hand. "What is it, Otou-san?" he asks. "What's wrong?"

Hizashi casts his eyes to the ground. "Oh. It is nothing, Neji-san." Neji just stares at his father is a puzzled expression as my heart wrenched for the both of them.

"Hizashi," Hiashi says in a commanding voice, bringing everyone's attention on him. "It is time I took Neji-san underneath my wing."

My uncle nods. "Yes."

Hiashi extends his free hand and motions for Neji forward. "Come, Neji-san."

Neji tenses up as he hesitates and looks between his uncle and his father. "W-where is he taking me, Otou-san?"

"Like me, you are about to get the Curse Seal placed on you," Hizashi replies. He looks like he would rather die right now then admit that to his young son.

Neji appears confused once more. "Curse Seal? What is the Curse Seal?"

"You will find out soon," my father replies calmly. "We need to hurry along now and go through with the ceremony. You and your father are going to spectate during Hinata-chan's training session this afternoon."

I wouldn't call forcing someone to obtain a curse mark on their forehead to be a ceremony. I narrow my eyes and clench my fist. "Yes, what is the Curse Seal?" I ask, repeating Neji's question. I don't know why I am stalling for time right now when I know it isn't going to help anything. Maybe so Neji can enjoy a few more minutes before his freedom is stripped away from him.

"You will find out soon as well, Hinata-chan," he tells me, giving me an odd look. I know that he is beginning to lose his patience as he doesn't like being around his brother for long periods of time.

"If he is getting one does that mean I am getting one also?" I ask, pressing on. This whole situation is pissing me off so why not keep asking questions to push his buttons a little. I have nothing to lose.

Hiashi grits his teeth. I can tell he is trying to control his annoyance so he doesn't lose his cool in front of everybody. "No," he simply says.

I arch an eyebrow. "Why not?"

Hiashi squeezes my hand and causes me to wince slightly in pain. "Please, enough with the questions," he orders, glaring down at me. If it wasn't for my birthday, I would probably be scolded and sent to my room with no dinner for making him look stupid in front of the whole clan with my repetitive questions.

I remain silent as Hizashi whispers something in Neji's ear before patting his head and Neji begins walking towards us. Hiashi reaches out to grab his nephew's hand but I cut in front of him and grab it for myself. Hiashi signs at my actions and ignores it. I give Neji a reassuring look as he just stares back at me with a worried one. Hizashi and the rest of the Branch House bows towards us as we turn and head back to the Main House. The group behind us disperses as Hiashi's leads Neji and I into the convocation room where the clan's holds important meetings and such. Waiting for us is the Elder as he sits on top of a teal woven mat with his legs crossed. Technically, he is my grandfather but he doesn't act like one towards me or Neji and I do not see him very often. So, in my books, he doesn't deserve that title.

"You three finally made it," he greets as he gets up and strides over to us.

"Yes," my father replies as he let's go of our hands. "Let's commence with the branding of the Curse Seal."

For some reason, I had in mind that the ceremony was going to take place in a dark room with no windows and the only light came from the flickers of candles along the walls. I don't know. I was expecting some type of torture session and a sinister atmosphere to match it. Hiashi, the Elder, and I all circle around Neji as he stands in the middle. You can tell he is scared as he nervously looks at all of us. Ugh, I just want to snatch him up, run away, and hide him somewhere so he doesn't get the Curse Seal. Except... that idea will not work because these two men possess the Byakugan so I am just going to get that stupid idea out of my head.

"Hinata-chan," my father says as I glance up at him. "Since you will be the leader of this clan one day, you are going to watch how this ceremony works. Part of your duty as the Head is to mark the members of the Branch House with the Curse Seal. The main purpose of the mark is to protect the Byakugan and it's secrets and also the Main House. The wearer of this mark will have their Byakugan sealed after death so it may never reach an enemy's hands." I still find it creepy how eyes in this world can be plucked out and popped back in like damn contacts.

"The secondary purpose is to control the Branch House members with fear so they can never forget that it is their destiny to serve and protect us," the Elder adds as Hiashi shifts his eyes over towards him. I know he didn't want to say that in front of Neji. Even though he does put the clan before anything else at times and is a strict follower of sticking with traditions, he isn't heartless. Hidden deep down, he does have a soft spot for his brother and nephew and didn't want to say that in front of the kid.

Hiashi nods. "That, too. For those reasons you will be an observer today for when the time comes when you are older, you will be ready." Hell, no! I will never be ready because I will never allow this shit to occur when I become the Head! I will find some other way to protect the clan and it's secrets.

Hiashi directs his attention back to Neji. "Stand still, Neji. This is a quick process and it will not harm you in any way, though you might feel some slight temporary burning."

Neji swallows and nods his head, attempting to not show fear. "Y-yes, Hiashi-sama."

Hiashi lifts his arms up and quickly makes a sequence of handsigns before resting his palm onto Neji's forehead. His palm is glowing a green color as he exerts chakra out of it and then removes it away. Neji cringes as a poof of smoke rises above his forehead, making a sizzling sound. I widen my eyes in a mixture of amazement and disgust as a light green line forms across his head, followed by a large X, and then ending with another line. The Curse Seal stays lit for a few more seconds before turning into a jade green color. Well, that wasn't as intense as I always pictured it. Neji reaches up to touch his forehead, but doesn't feel anything out of the ordinary.

"D-did it work?" he dares to ask.

"Yes," Hiashi replies. "You have now been branded with the Curse Seal and it is your official duty now to serve the Main House."

Neji straightens up and bows. "Yes, Hiashi-sama."

Hiashi remains cold-faced. "Good. You may go back to your father now. Remind him that the both of you are to be in the training room at two. You are dismissed."

Neji bows once more and repeats, "Yes, Hiashi-sama." He gives me a melancholy stare before leaving the room. He looks like a different person to me now with that demeaning seal on his forehead.

I look at Hiashi and the Elder. "I do not like that Curse Seal."

Hiashi opens his mouth to say something, but the Elder beats him to it. "It does not matter if you like it or not. It is necessary to protect the Byakugan and the clan. You will learn deeper as to why when you get older." I don't believe that crap that it is necessary. The Uchiha clan possess the potential to unlock the Sharingan and you don't see a bunch of them running around with Curse Seals on them. And, I believe the Sharingan is more dangerous and powerful if then the Byakugan! Especially if someone gets their hands on one.

"Okay," I decide to say, dropping the conversation. It will not go in any direction I will like anyways.

Hiashi grabs my hand. "Let's go have lunch with your mother before your training session," he says. "I will be having you participate in a practice spar with me this afternoon so you will need to be energized and focused." At least I get to learn more today and put my Gentle Fist into action.

* * *

"Your kick is still to weak!" Hiashi tells me as I stumble a few steps back.

I nod my head. "Yes!"

I've been too distracted by Hizashi to commit 100% to the practice match between me and my father. I keep looking at him out of my peripheral vision to make sure he isn't glaring at me with any killing intent and behaving himself. My training session has been going on for about thirty minutes now and he hasn't done anything just yet, so maybe he doesn't have any grudge towards me since I have been around his son and I are close.

I lift my hands up in the correct positions and charge towards Hiashi. "Hyiahhhh!" I yell as I jump forward to attack him again as he easily dodges me. I never understood why characters in Naruto always yelled a battle cry as they go after their opponent. Now, I do because it just releases tension and pumps me up before attacking.

I would not even consider what I am doing right now a practice match because it has only been consisted of me striking while Hiashi sidesteps all around me. I know I have only just begun my training, but it is still difficult when my little body cannot keep up. I reach out to strike him as he steps behind me. I spin around and thrust my palm upwards as he lightly smacks it out of the way. I take that opportunity to rush in with my other palm and bring it out in front of me. He whirls around me as I push off from the ground and throw a roundhouse kick to his knee, which he easily dodges once again. In my perspective, I think I am doing pretty good for a three year old thought I still tire easily.

As I continue to spar, I hear Hizashi and Neji converse from my right. "Listen, Neji-san. Is your destiny clear to you? You live only to protect Hinata-sama and to preserve the power of our clan's Main Household."

"I understand, Otou-san!" Neji replies happily as he watches me spar. "Hinata-sama is really good. I hope I get to spar with her sometime!"

Hizashi doesn't respond as he stares at his son sadly before he narrows his eyes. He seems to be deep in thought as he turns his head and begins to glare at me. Why does he still have any ill intent towards me after I, the heiress, do not treat Neji like another member of the Branch House, but as a friend. A cousin. Family. Realization then hits me that this is the moment that Hiashi activates Hizashi's Curse Seal! I stop in mid strike as I land on the ground and run over to Neji. I know my father is going to get really pissed at me for suddenly stopping our match, but I do not care right now. I can see the anger momentarily drop from Hizashi's face as curiosity replaces it as he notices me approaching his son.

"I would love to spar with you sometime, Neji-nii-san!" I tell him, trying to make my voice sound excited.

Neji looks behind me at Hiashi, who is probably staring a hole through me, and then at me, sensing the slight tension in the air. "That is great, Hinata-sama. But, I recommend you return back to your training with Hiashi-sama. That is more important right now." I can bet a million ryō that these are some of the lines that Neji's father has fed him so he stays off the Main House's shit list.

"I do not think Hiashi-sama would allow that," Hizashi tells me. I notice he clenches his fists before quickly releasing them as he made that comment.

"He is correct, Hinata-chan. I would not," I hear Hiashi snap behind as I wince and turn around. "Do not leave abruptly like that again, or at all, unless given permission. They are only here to spectate, not to converse with."

I bow with fake remorse. "I am sorry, Otou-san," I reply as I head back over to him. At least I managed to distract Hizashi and tried to prove to him, once again, that he has no reason to hate because I am nice to Neji. Ha, it is strange that the heiress is trying to please a Branch Member. Hopefully he can collect his thoughts now and-

"A threat!" Hiashi suddenly growls as he jumps in front of me with his arm out and lifts up a single finger.

I widen my eyes as I witness Hizashi give out a bloodcurdling yell and collapse onto the floor, grasping his head. "No! Stop!" I shout as I grab Hiashi's arms but he shoves me away.

Neji has his mouth open with a terrifying look written on his face as he rushes over to Hizashi. "Otou-san!" he calls out.

Neji and I watch in terror as Hizashi slings the forehead protector off of him and returns to grasping his head. His Curse Seal is glowing like Neji's was when he received it except many veins were popping out around Hizashi's from the pain of his frying brain cells. Tears threatens to spill over as they well up in my eyes and I blink them away as I bit my lip. So, either way, this was going to happen and Hizashi still hates me. Why does he hate me? Just because I am the offspring of his brother? But, still. He didn't deserve this to happen to him!

"Take your Otou-san home," Hiashi orders, ignoring his brother's horrifying screams. Neji gives him a terrified look, fearing he is next. "I will forgive the fool this time. But, only this time. See that you never forget your destiny!"

Hiashi turns to leave the room. I can see the hatred grow in Neji's eyes as he gives a resentful glare to my father's back before looking down at his father. Tears of anger stream down his face as he clenches his teeth and slams his fist to the ground. By this point, Hiashi has released the jutsu and Hizashi is just laying there, with his hands still hanging on to his head, panting and groaning loudly. My body is wavering in my own anger and fear now as I take a couple of breathes to attempt to calm myself down and step towards Neji before stopping myself. I can I possibly comfort the boy right now? He just got traumatized from witnessing his father getting hurt and he now knows what he is in for if he steps one foot out of line. It has hit him and he understands now what his role as a member of the Branch House is suppose to be. He is perceiving now it is truly his destiny to be a slave to the Main House until he set free after his death and it can never be changed.

At this point, he can still be saved from his mind and outlook going down a dark path. However, if Hizashi does end up sacrificing himself Neji's mind will never be changed until Naruto does ten years from now. But, I do not want Neji to feel that for that long. Yes, Hiashi can tell the story to Neji about his father earlier than the Chunin Exams. That still will be years from now because he is too young to understand and grasp the concept. I failed just now and I cannot fail again. I will not. I need to prevent Hizashi's death. He will not die!

"Hinata-chan!" I hear my father call from the doorway. "Let's go."

Ignoring him, I decide to give it a chance and talk to Neji. "N-Neji-nii-san?" I say to him hesitantly.

"P-please listen to H-Hiashi-sama and go with him," Neji tells me, not looking at me.

I raise my eyebrows in concern as I regretfully respect his wishes and leave the room with Hiashi.

* * *

During my birthday dinner, I had to force myself to put on a happy act. Most of it is so I do not hurt my mother's feeling since she cooked my favorite meal for me and made me a cake out of cinnamon buns. I can see why the original Hinata liked these so much. They are really good and I have developed a sweet tooth for them. They are also Haruna's favorite dessert so that is something we bond over and eat together. The birthday dinner itself was a small one consisting of only me, my mother, and father. We all ate, talked, and laughed like the terrible events that occurred today never happened. After the dinner, I opened my gift from my parents. Since I am into kimonos, they had bought me a new violet colored and a yellow colored one. This year, I told them I didn't want a lot of gifts for my birthday so I am glad they respected my wishes. Coming from one of the richest clans in Konohagakure, I have a lot of shit and I do not need anymore stuff.

Later that night, after Hiashi and Haruna put me down to sleep, I decide to stay awake. I know that the Head Shinobi of Kumogakure is suppose to break into the compound and kidnap me sometime throughout the night. Except, I will not allow him to even leave the room with me and that is why I am staying awake. I am determined to not allow Hizashi to die. I do not know why keeping Hizashi is going to change the course of things from now on, but it should not change that much. I am hoping that, somehow, Hiashi and Hizashi can strengthen their relationship and not hate each other anymore. But, I highly doubt that will happen unless outside help intervenes AKA me and Neji.

The hairs on my neck stands up as I hear some shuffling coming from my ceiling. I see the tile lift up and disappear as a dark figure silently drops to the floor. I quickly close my eyes and pretend to be asleeps so I do not alarm him. My plan starts now! I hear the man tiptoe over towards me and begin to pull back my blankets. I snap my eyes open and jump up, thrusting my palm out. I strike his forearm as he takes a couple of steps back, grasping it. Even if I am still inexperienced in the art of the Gentle Fist, the beauty of it is that even the slight tap can cause severe internal damage. Which means, momentarily, he has no usage in his left arm.

I take this split second to call for backup. "OTOU-SAN! OTOU-SAN! HELP! HELP!" I scream at the top of my lungs. I am planning that when Hiashi enters the room and sees the Head Shinobi, he will just restrict him and turn him in for questioning instead of killing him. He will not have any reason of killing him since I am not getting kidnapped.

The man lungs towards me with his usable arm as I hop off my bed and sprint towards the door. Before I can open it, I feel fingers wrap around my neck and lift me into the air. He gives my neck a squeeze,making me gasp for air, before hauling me underneath his arm and bust through my window. Well, so much for not allowing him to run off with me. Shards of glass cut through me and embed into my skin as I dramatically yell out in pain, attempting to alarm more people. The man runs through the courtyard and halts immediately when Hiashi jumps off a roof and lands in front of us.

Hiashi already has his Byakugan activated as he glares at my kidnapper. "I see my three year old daughter has temporarily disabled your left arm," he taunted. "You call yourself the Head Shinobi of Kumogakure? I am disappointed."

The Head Shinobi doesn't say anything as he lifts up his left arm, cringing from the pain, pulls out a kunai knife, and holds it to my neck. Terror overwhelms me as I gulp. He wouldn't kill me… will he? I am suppose to be delivered, from my knowledge, to Kumogakure. This has to be an act. Hiashi narrows his eyebrow at the sight of the knife. "Drop her now and you shall live." I hope his words were an act also. He can't kill him.

The man dug the tip of the kunai knife into my neck, pricking it. A tiny drop of blood runs down my neck. "O-Otou-san," I whimper. I think the Head Shinobi is serious about killing me and stealing my Byakugan later!

Before I can blink, Hiashi rushes forward and slams his palm into the man's chest, barely missing his heart. He grabs me as the man coughs up blood and falls backwards. I cling onto him as Hiashi bends down and rips off the cloth mask off the man's face, revealing the fact that he is the Head Shinobi. Hiashi sighs as he sets me down and drops down to my eye level.

"Are you alright, Hinata-chan?" he asks. With his Byakugan, he scans over my body and answers for me. "Besides a couple bruises and the tiny puncture wound on your neck and pieces of glass stuck to you, you are okay. That is good."

"Did you kill the man?" I ask him.

Hiashi shook his head. "No. I would have if you weren't here or if you were asleep when he kidnapped you. I did not want to in front of you."

I resist the urge to break into a happy dance as I hear the good news. Any fear that I had just experienced a moment ago is gone and is replaced with relief and joy. Hizashi is going to live! There is no reason for him to die now! That means Neji gets to grow up with his father and he can have a better outlook on life now then what he was about to have. My internal celebration is ruined as a few servants comes running over to us. Better late than ever.

"Hiashi-sama! Hinata-sama!" a longed black hair man hollers as they stop in front of us.

A young woman with short brown hair lifts me into her arms, cradling me. Ugh, put me down! "Does she need any medical attention?"

Hiashi shakes his head. "No, she just needs first aid. I need you to take out the pieces of glass that are embedded in her skin and tend to the wounds on her neck. It is nothing serious."

"Thank goodness," the woman replies with a sigh of relief. I roll my eyes. I have never met this woman. She shouldn't be this worried about me. I get why she is, but it is annoying. I am fine.

"What happened here?" the Hyūga servant asks.

"I will discuss it in a meeting tomorrow," Hiashi replies. "Go tell everyone that there will be one at eight am sharp tomorrow. Both Main and Branch members are to be there."

The servant bows. "Yes, Hiashi-sama!" And he takes off.

"What are you going to do now?" the woman carrying me still asks, looking down at the unconscious man with her Byakugan.

Hiashi picks up the Head Shinobi and slings him over his shoulder. "I am taking him to the Sandaime Hokage-sama. He will know what to do from there. After taking care of Hinata-chan, bring her to Haruna-chan. I didn't allow her to come with me, but I am sure she is worried sick over her daughter right now."

"Yes, sir," the woman says, bowing.

She brings me inside and into the treatment room where clan members go for minor injuries like mine. She sets me down on one of the beds and begins rummaging through a shelf. She pulls out a white box and opens it, pulling out a pair of tweezers. "I recommend you stay still, Hinata-sama," she suggests. "I am about to pull the shards of glass out of you. It isn't going to hurt much. It will only feel like little pinches." I nod as she begins to pull the shards out. As she does, the woman tries to distract me with small talk. "So, I noticed that you disabled your kidnapper's left arm. I guess all that training is paying off, huh?"

I shrug. "It was only a surprise attack. The man still could've beaten me."

"Sometimes the stronger one doesn't always win," the woman tells me. "Sometimes the intelligent one does."

I arch an eyebrows. "But, what I did didn't involve intelligence."

"I don't mean to disagree with you, but it involves a lot intelligence to plan a strategy," the woman explains.

"Even one as simple as mine?" I ask. I'm not a stupid person, but surely any Shinobi would think of an easy surprise attack like mine. "All I did was attack him when he removed my blankets."

The woman nods. "Well, it is expectational for a child your age to even think of an obliterate strategy like that on the spot. Most children your age would've screamed or stayed silent in fear."

I always forget about my damn age. That is why she is so amazed with me. Eh, might as well take the credit. "Thank you," I reply.

After removing the shards of glass, she lifts her hand to my neck as it glows green. Instantly I can feel the bruises and puncture wound disappear like they were never there. "Alright, we are all done here," the woman informs me. "Let's take you to Haruna-sama now."

When the woman brings me to my mother, who we find in my bedroom sweeping up glass, she drops the broom and runs over to me, giving me a tight hug. "Hinata-chan! All you alright?!" she asks, exasperated.

"Yeah! I am fine," I tell her, kissing her on the cheek.

She smiles and smoothes down my hair as she looks at the woman. "Thank you so much for taking care of her and bringing her to me."

The woman bows. "It is my pleasure, Haruna-sama."

"Before you go, can you tell me what happened really quick?" my mother asks.

As my woman retold what happened, I walk away from my mother and examined the damage. Haruna has already swept up most of the shards of glass, but my window is going to need replacing. The ceiling tile that is missing on the ceiling needs to be put back and I need to get changed out of these slightly bloody clothes and showered. I look and feel nasty. When the woman left, Haruna seemed to have read my mind and lifts me up.

"Let me give you a quick bath before you go back to bed," she says as she takes me into their bathroom.

The whole compound is buzzing a few days later after they heard what happened from my father's mandatory meeting. He set up some new rules so I can have better protection. I am never allowed to be alone and I must always have someone with me. When I am in my room playing or sleeping, I must always have a guard staying outside of my room at all hours. While these rules are good for protecting, it sucks because it limits any little privacy I had before. A good thing that comes out of this though is that when I am in my room playing, Neji gets to be there with me so I am not alone. He can't fully protect me yet just by himself, but he can alarm the guard outside of my door if they don't notice and briefly shield me until they come in. So, technically, the only time I get alone time is when I am using the bathroom or sleeping. Yay. Neji nor I haven't brought up the whole Curse Seal incident, which is good because I didn't really want to talk about it and neither did he. He acts completely normal towards me like nothing ever happened and I am thrilled for that because I was afraid that he would act different and cold. We still play Shinobi and with Pandie and Keke and I would rather be doing that with him any day, no matter how much I mentally complain how childish it is.

Word also gotten around how "talented" and "gifted" I am now for thinking up a plan on the spot and attacking my kidnapper. This has gotten many people excited and I used to have audiences during my training sessions, which have increased from two days a week to three now, until finally Hiashi forbid anyone from watching except for the people he invites, or orders, to spectate. Everyone wanted to see the talented young heiress and her capabilities. I'm just sitting here like hey my dirty little secret is that I am really a twenty-one year old stuck in a three year old's body and I have the common sense to come up with a simple idea. That's it. But, I am also secretly enjoying all the attention I am getting so I shouldn't be complaining. I never figured out what happened to the Head Shinobi, but I really don't care because he was nothing more than canon fodder anyways.

 **Author's note: Before anyone complains about it, if anyone does, that the Head Shinobi should have known to dodge OC Hinata's attack, let me explain. The Head Shinobi had to have been leaning over/bending down when he removed her bedsheets and that means he was super close to her. During that close range, and the note that he wasn't expecting her to attack since he thought she was asleep, OC Hinata's attack make sense. At least to me.**

 **Now, about the whole paring ordeal. I was off Friday from work and spent the whole day planning out this fanfic. It turns out that I am throwing the strict Naruto or Sasuke pairing out the window. It is a free for all now! It can still be one of those two, or maybe she will end up with any other guy in the Konohagakure, or perhaps even outside of it… But, like I also mentioned before, the pairing isn't the main focus on the story, only part of it. Kinda like subplot, you know?**

 **Anyways, I decided to keep Hizashi alive because I have plans for him in the future and I never planned on OC Hinata and Neji to have a strained relationship like in the anime/manga. I loved their relationship and interactions with one another after Neji calmed down after his match with Naruto during the Chunin Exams so I am going to base it on that.**

 **As always, reviews are welcomed, positive or negative. I like to hear, or read since you can't really hear over the computer, everybody's thoughts, opinions, and inputs. It is important to me what my reader's think of my fanfic. I would like to add that I plan on posting this fanfic on Thursday and Sunday evenings so expect an update on those days unless otherwise, which should be rarely. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4: Childhood Arc

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Pre-Shippuden Dick!Neji would have gotten his ass kicked by Hinata.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Childhood Arc**

 **Chapter four**

The following days that passed over the next couple of years were not as eventful as my third birthday. My training schedule has increased dramatically and I take that as a good sign since Hiashi rarely ever tells me I am doing anything wrong nowadays. Personally, I have felt myself become more stronger, quicker, and I am on a good pace at building up my stamina. My Gentle Fist strikes are sharp and precise with power backing them up. Even though I am naturally flexible, I have noticed my kicks are getting higher and my body gracefully flows when I have to dodge and block attacks. Even with all this success I am having so far, I still have a long ways to go and need to keep continuing this training so I do not let my unnamed illness to catch up to me and allow me to become feeble again.

My father's and Hizashi relationship has not changed one bit so I am not going to cover that topic. I have decided to handle that whole situation for when I am older. What I will mention is Neji. He is in his second year at the Academy now and I already have some competition with him. He is already at the top his class and continues to impress his instructors everyday. Everything just comes so easy to him and I will admit I am a little jealous. I thought I was quick to pick up on things such as the Gentle Fist. Nope. He's proven me wrong. Even though I haven't seen him personally yet while he trains, I can already bet that he's a million time better than me and becoming a prodigy. What I can say that I have witnessed from him is a little arrogant and prideful attitude that he has begun to develop, similar to the one in the anime/manga. I guess that part of him cannot be changed whether his father died or not. I don't blame him for acting that way. He's better than most children that go through the Academy and he knows that. Though he doesn't go around bragging or taunting to others, I have seen some of his "looking down on people" looks towards me whenever he has to watch me train.

Neji has also confided in me that he hates the way the Main House runs things and how they expect the Branch House to always fear them and be their shields and puppets. He has even admitted that he hates my father ever since Hiashi unleashed Hizashi's Curse Seal in front of him and I do not blame Neji. I would hate someone if they harmed my parents in front of me. At least I can sleep well at night knowing that Neji does not hate me so I know he will easily help me change the corrupt ways of this clan whenever I become the heiress. I have not told him my ideas just yet but I plan on it whenever we are teenagers.

I lied earlier. One eventful thing has happened since my birthday. The birth of my younger sister, Hanabi, happened about two months ago and I am head over heels for her. She is literally the cutest baby I have ever seen, well the only baby I have ever seen in this life, and my parents are just as crazy over her as they were of me when I was born. This time around, Hiashi actually knows how to react whenever Hanabi cries in his arms. Since I am not considered a baby or toddler anymore, being five years old now, he has been showing less affection towards me and has become more strict and harsh to prepare me for the Shinobi world. His soft side is coming back now ever since Hanabi has been born and it is sweet to see him cuddle his newborn daughter and play with her. Haruna is just as on cloud nine about Hanabi as the rest of us except she goes out of her way to make sure I do not feel left out. Knowing that I am way too mature for my age, she has trusted me with helping taking care of my sister when it comes to changing her, feeding her, and carrying her around. Whenever my parents become busy, they let me "watch" Hanabi by letting me hold her in a sling that is wrapped around my shoulder and I play with her. Truthfully, I exaggerate on the word watch because we have a nanny babysitting us in reality.

One evening while having dinner with my family, my father reminded me of something got made me excited. "Hinata-chan. Do not forget that tomorrow is your first day at the Academy."

My eyes widen as I swallow some rice. A couple of weeks ago, Hiashi had taken me to register for the Academy but I did not know we start tomorrow! I instantly feel overjoyed and nervous at the same time. I get to finally meet Naruto and all the other characters and having interaction with other people besides a Hyūga! What I am nervous about is actually performing well in the Academy. While I know a lot about the anime/manga, it never covered much in detail about what exact a student has to learn in order to become a Genin. So, I am going to be feeling clueless for once and have to resort to being in the same boat as everybody else. Ugh.

"How come you are not saying anything?" my mother asks, feeding Hanabi through a bottle. She winks. "Are you getting cold feet?"

I shake my head. "How hard is the Academy?" I ask.

"It isn't too hard as long as you pay attention, study, and train," Haruna explains. She briefly gets distracted by Hanabi's sudden babbling. She smiles and tickles her daughter before paying attention to me again. "But, you are an intelligent and hardworking child. You will do fine."

"I just expect nothing but good reports about you," my father adds. "I also expect you to stay at the top of your class like Neji-san has been. You both are representing the Hyūga clan and you cannot be overshadowed by a member of the Branch."

My mother sighs. "Stop putting so much pressure on her, Hiashi-kun. She hasn't even started yet."

I agree with my mother. I am already nervous enough about understanding the material and Hiashi is already expecting me to be Rookie of the Year? No way. Plus, I do not even plan on being the top of my class even if everything does somehow come easy to me. I do not want to screw up the predestined Genin teams that are already set in stone, as of now. I need to stay an average student so I can be on my team with Kiba and Shino so I do not change things. Changing things can alter the future and I like having the advantage of knowing what is going to happen. Still, I will make my father feel better and agree with his words.

I nod my head. "I will not let you down, Otou-san!"

Hiashi appears pleased. "Good." Hanabi decides to interrupt the conversation by spitting out her bottle and wailing. Haruna excuses herself from the table as she begins to pat Hanabi's back while leaving the room. Hiashi looks at me once more. "While I do not doubt you, I just expect a lot from you because you will have a lot of competition in your class over the next few years."

Ohh, I know what he means. My class is famous for having a bunch of loud and cocky heirs and heiresses running around. I know one kid in particular that he is mostly talking about. Sasuke Uchiha. Still, that doesn't motivate me enough to change things and become the top of the class. Naruto has proven to me that you don't have to graduate at the top of the class, or with any good grades at all, to be a great Shinobi. It helps, but it doesn't determine a person's overall talent. I mean, look at Sakura Pre-Shippuden.

* * *

As I walk into the busy classroom, all my nervous "first day of school" jitters went away. Children are scattered all over the place, talking to one another. The classroom looks exactly like the way I remember it being: four rows each containing three long desks that sit three kids each. I decide to ignore the kids for now as I make my way to the back row and sit at the chair and desk closest to the window. I do not want to draw much attention to myself and plan on staying quiet to observe. Now, I am not going to act anti-social and have zero friends. But, I plan on just acting strictly friendly to the main characters as of now. I do not want to make any friends yet because I want the kids to grow into their destined characters before I play a part in their lives and affect it. While I really want to fangirl for actually seeing some of my favorite characters ever in person, I know I cannot. Plus, I am too much of a chicken right now to try and do anything differently in fear of changing things, but I will show that I am friendly by talking to them every now and then to create a slow bond that will blossom into a friendship in a few years.

As I scan the classroom, I notice Sakura basically hiding in the corner in the back row like I am except on the other side of the room. Her pink bangs are covering most of her face as her frightful eyes are looking at the ground, trying not to make contact with anyone. I smirk. I'm not used to seeing Sakura so silent and not that confident in herself. I know that soon Ino is going to change her ass around and boost her self esteem so I am not too worried though I feel bad for her. She should not be made fun of just because she has a big forehead that has enough room to land an airplane… okay I'm done.

The next person that I care enough at the moment to look for is Sasuke. He, too, is sitting by himself except he is sitting exactly two rows ahead of me, staring out the window. Many fangirls, including Ino, is crazily staring at him with hearts in their eyes as he choses to ignore them. I guess he learned that from his brother, Itachi. In my eyes, Sasuke seems to only act like his true self whenever he's around his older brother so I am not surprised to see him isolating himself in a public setting. Like Neji, he probably thinks he is better than everyone and doesn't want to hang around these peasants.

As I continue to observe, I notice a sleeping Shikamaru, a chubby Choji snacking on some chips, Shino hiding behind his sunglasses, and Kiba laughing loudly about something. It is odd to see Kiba without Akamaru so I assume he gets him when he's a little older. The only person that I see is missing is Naruto. Of course he is. He's probably late from oversleeping or causing pranks.

The class begins to settle down and take their seats as a woman strides into the classroom. She has short straight brunette hair, narrow green eyes, and is of average height. She is wearing the standard Konohagakure Shinobi outfit complete with the forehead protector around her waist, sandals, and falk jacket. As she walks over to her desk, two light headed kids comes to sit beside of me. I make no effort to look or talk at them since they are just canon fodder. The woman smiles brightly at us as she stands in front of front of her audience.

"Welcome to Konoha Academy!" she greets. "My name is Amori Ruki, but you can just refer to me as Ruki-sensei. I will be your instructor for the next three years. I hope you brats can make things easy for me by doing what I say and we will all get along just fine."

Just as she says that, the classroom doors slides open and runs in a panting Naruto. "Sorry… I'm late!" he apologizes as he leans against the wall to catch his breathe.

Ruki crosses her arms and gives Naruto an annoyed look. "Arriving late for your first day of class is not giving me a good impression of you," she tells him. Then, she widens her eyes. "Oh, you're that kid." Her demeanor changes from annoyed to disgust as she averts her eyes away from him, pointing at an empty seat. "Just go sit down."

Ignoring her obvious distaste towards him, Naruto puts on a wide grin as he skips up the steps and sits down beside Sasuke. "What's up! My name is Uzumaki Naruto!" he says happily to Sasuke as he reaches out his hand. Sasuke gives Naruto a bored look and glances out the window again. A tick mark flashes on Naruto's head as he grits his teeth. "Hey! Don't ignore me when I am introducing myself to you!" So, this is when the rivalry begins.

"Hn," Sasuke replies without looking. Ahhh the famous Uchiha response.

Naruto is about to say something else before Ruki interrupts him. "ANYWAYS!" she yells before speaking at a normal tone. "During your first year here at the Academy, you will be learning basic arithmetic, reading comprehension, spelling, and grammar. You will do a little bit of this every year, but will be the main focus on this year. Before one becomes a Shinobi, they need to know how to read, write, and solve problems." Great, I get to repeat kindergarten all over again. So much for not trying to be top student. This shit will be to easy for me to even fake that I don't understand. "Everyday, except Friday, I will assign you all a page of homework that I will expect completed and turned into me the following morning. Every Friday, we will have a spelling test on a list of words I have given you for that week. It will be a mixture of basic everyday words and Shinobi terms. It may not sound like it, but the first year is always the easiest year. When you are older, you will be wishing that you were a first year again when things get hard." Somehow, I think I doubt that.

After a couple of hours of Ruki going on about what we should expect for the year and other stuff that is to irrelevant for me to explain, it is lunchtime! The class disperses from the sits and begin to eat and mingle as I continue to sit alone and unpack the bento that Haruna prepared for me. I open it up to see a small piece of chicken, a variety of steamed vegetables, a handful of rice, and a cinnamon bun for dessert. Yum! Sounds like a great lunch to me! As I eat, I see Naruto try a couple more times to speak to Sasuke before he stomps off in annoyance. I watch as he tries to join in with several different groups before walking away from being ignored. My heart is breaking for him. I raise my eyebrows as I realize that he doesn't have any lunch packed with him. He must have forgotten when he overslept this morning. I try to not give in until I hear his stomach rumble all the way from back here. He puts a hand on his stomach as he scratches the back of his neck in embarrassment as his classmates stares at him before returning to their business.

Suddenly, Naruto sees me staring at him and makes his way up to me. Ugh, come on kid! You're going to make me feel bad and give you my lunch if you come over here! He plops down beside of me and eyes me suspiciously. "Why do you keep on looking at me?" he asks. "Your eyes are freaky."

I almost cough up my chicken after he says that. I guess the Third Hokage hasn't taught him any manners yet. An idea suddenly pops in my head as I smirk. "You think my eyes are freaky?"

Naruto nods. "Well, yeah. They are just different and all large and white."

"They aren't freaky," I tell him. I close my eyes as I slip a little chakra into them. I dramatically open them back up as I feel the veins begin to bulge around my eyes and my vision beginning to change. Damn, Naruto does have a shit ton of chakra reserves, "Okay, now they are."

Naruto yelps as he falls out of his chair. "W-what did you do to them?!"

"I am just showing you how freaky my eyes can truly get," I tease, giggling. Oh, I forgot to mention that I can use the Byakugan now. The events revolving around the awakening isn't anything to eventful. Hiashi was explaining to me one day how the Byakugan worked and I just tried to activate it just for shits and giggles and it worked! Hiashi was a little startled but pleased that I activated mine at a young age, especially before Neji, and that's the end of my short flashback.

"You're strange," Naruto mumbles as he climbs back into his chair. His stomach growls again.

I deactivate my Byakugan. "And you are hungry." I hand him my bento. "You can have the rest of my lunch."

Naruto shakes his head. "No, that's yours! I will be fine until I get home. It's my fault I forgot to pack my lunch anyways. My stupid alarm didn't go off."

I roll my eyes. "I know it is mine. I get to decide what I want to do with it and I am deciding to share my lunch with you."

I wave the food under his nose for extra measure. He smells the delicious aroma and gulps. "Are you sure?"

I sigh. "I wouldn't be offering it to you if I wasn't."

He gives me a huge grin as he snatches the bento from my hands and begins to dig in. "Mmmph! Mmmph! Thank you so much! Mmmph!" he tells me with his mouth full.

"No problem!" I say, kicking myself. I hope this doesn't change anything. I felt bad for him! I couldn't let him just starve! I even gave him my cinnamon roll that's how bad I feel for him. Okay, I doubt anything will change from this little event. I am just thinking irrationally right now. I can just go with my original plan and stay friendly with Naruto, but not on an everyday basis.

"So, what is your name?" he asks after coming up for air after eating for two minutes straight. I stare at my now empty bento. Wow, he was hungry. All my food is gone. I really wanted my cinnamon bun. Sad day.

"My name is Hyūga Hinata," I tell him. "And, I already know that you are Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto narrows his eyes. "How do you know my name?"

God, he is dense. "You just announced it to the class when you were talking to the dark headed boy," I explain.

"Oh, yeah. Well, he thinks he's so cool and better than everyone!" Naruto complains. "What's so special about him?" I shrug. "Well, how about I ask him?"

I contemplate stopping him so he doesn't make our instructor hate him more, but I change my mind. Naruto will not listen to me anyways if I did. Naruto shoots out of his chair and marches towards Sasuke. He slams his palm loudly on the desk, causing everyone to jump and stare at him. Sasuke glances up in mid bite. "Why do you act like you are some big shot, huh?" Naruto asks, leaning down to get in his face.

Sasuke responds by eating another bite of his tomato sandwich.

"You don't ignore someone when they are talking to you!" Naruto exclaims, getting flustered. I laugh. This is getting to funny.

"Go away, moron," Sasuke finallys says in a monotoned voice.

"What?! Who are you calling a moron?!"

"Hey! Leave him alone!" Ino shouts as she runs over and bonks Naruto over the head.

"Owww! What was that for?"

"Let him eat in peace!" Fangirl #1 chimes in.

"Yeah!" Fangirl #2 adds to stay relevant.

Ruki loudly claps her hands together. "Okay, enough!" she yells. "Naruto! Go back to your seat and stop railing up the class!" What? He can't control how the other people are responding to his antics. Ino and the fangirls should get reprimanded as well.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever," Naruto says as he crosses his arms and returns to sit beside of me. "I'm sitting here from now on."

Stop. Ruining. My. Plans! "I think you should sit in your original seat," I suggest.

Naruto shakes his head rapidly. "No way! No way! I'm not sitting beside of that teme!"

"But, maybe if you get to know him you can see why he acts the way he does," I tell him.

"Pshhh. I don't care for him."

I arch an eyebrow. "If you don't care for him, why does he bother you so much?" I ask. "He has barely spoken to you and he is already getting underneath your skin."

Naruto gives me an irritated look. "Because people like him get on my nerves."

"Well, if you want him to notice you," I begin. "You need to hang around him and talk to him. He will warm up to you over time." Okay, I know that pushing Naruto to become friends with Sasuke isn't the canon path. However, some of my plans include not having Sasuke grow to hate Naruto when they get older. I am hoping an early friendship will stop that.

"I guess you're right," Naruto admits. He looks up at me and a hurt expression flashes over his face before it quickly goes away. "Why do you want to get rid of me so badly?"

Noooooo. Not this feeling of guilt again. "I don't!" I quickly say, waving my hands in front of me. "I'm just trying to help you make a friend!"

Naruto's ears perks up at the word "friend" and I know that I have just reeled him in. "Do you really think he would want to be my friend?" he asks. God, I can see it in his eyes how lonely he is and how desperate he is for attention.

I nod. "I do, but just give it time. He seems like a reserved person and will slowly need to get to know you."

"Alright! I understand," Naruto tells me as he jumps out of his sit. "Thanks for helping me!" He runs back down to his previous sit just as Ruki announces that lunchtime is over.

During our first conversation with each other, I notice that Naruto understands things and speaks very well for a five year old. I guess growing up alone, you become street smart and pick up things when running around the village. If he follows my advice, and doesn't let Sasuke annoy him to much, I think they can become friends over time. Sasuke is going to need a friend a few years from now when Itachi kills his whole clan and disappears. Hopefully, Naruto can be that person that makes Sasuke realize that he was not born to become an avenger. I know that he will still want to seek out revenge on Itachi, but maybe Naruto can help not make that his top priority and the goal he obsesses over the most. I really wish I can stop the whole massacring myself, but I know that I can't without drawing unnecessary attention to myself. Despite being a terrible incident, sometimes things like that just need to happen anyways.

After class ends for the day, I am surprised to see Hiashi waiting on me. Typically, I do not see him unless I am training or it is dinner. "Otou-san!" I call, running towards him. I give him a hug and grab his hand.

Hiashi gives me a rare genuine smile. "You seem to be in a good mood, Hinata-chan," he says. "Did you have a good first day at the Academy?"

"It was a little boring," I tell him. "All Ruki-sensei did is explain what we should expect for the year and then let us have free time until class ended."

"You do know that the rest of your Academy days will not be as laid back as today, correct?" Hiashi asks as we head home.

"I know," I reply. "I am ready for a challenge." If you call learning 2+2 a challenge for me.

Hiashi smirks. "I like your enthusiasm. Did you talk to any of the children?"

I shake my head. "No," I lied. "I sat by myself."

"While I do not think it is necessary for people to have multiple bonds with each other, you must not exclude yourself," Hiashi tells me. "Your first year is the best year to get acquainted with your classmates."

"I promise I won't exclude myself! I just wanted to pay attention to my instructor today so I can become the best in my class," I say.

Hiashi nods in approval. "Ahh, okay. I see nothing wrong with that." Ha, he's going to be so disappointed seven years from now.

When we arrive home, I find Haruna in the kitchen as she greets me with a small fruit salad as an after school snack. "Hello, Hinata-chan! I am so excited to hear all about your first day at the Academy!" Her and I sit down at the kitchen table as I repeat the same things I had just told my father. "Awhh, well that's okay. You will have more interesting days as the year goes on."

"I just feel like this year is going to be boring because everything Ruki-sensei told us that we are going to learn sounds really easy," I admit to her. I feel like Haruna and I have this special mother and daughter relationship going on that I can say things to her without receiving a lecture or criticism. She just listens or gives me advice. Sometime, bottling in all of these secrets is tiring and I need to vent at times.

"You won't know that until you actually dive into the lessons," she tells me. "But, if these things does come easy to you your instructor will take notice and send a recommendation to Hokage-sama to promote you a year or two."

I shake my head. "I really don't want that. I want to be around children my age."

She smiles. "Well, just think about it this way. If it comes easy to you, you will get your homework done fast and can focus on other things like training or playing with Hanabi-chan." That is true. I haven't thought of that. I have been wanting to learn new things lately besides the Gentle Fist.

"Thank you. I will keep that in mind," I tell her. I get up and hand her my empty bowl. "Speaking of Hanabi-imouto, where is she? I want to see her."

"I put her down for a nap, but you know how she is about naps," Haruna replies. "She hates them just as much as you did." I don't blame her. Napping as a kid sucks. You have so much energy! Now, napping as an adult is heaven.

I leave the kitchen and tiptoe into Hanabi's room, careful not to wake her. I peep my head into her crib and see two large white eyes staring back at me. She giggles when she recognizes who I am and begins to babble and wiggle her fingers around. "You are suppose to be asleep, young lady!" I playfully scold as she blows a bubble in response. I smoothed down her hair as she grabs on tightly to my thumb and begins to pull. I lightly jerk back as we play tug-a-war for a few seconds before she grew bored and let go.

"Someone's in a good mood this afternoon. You happy to see your Nee-san?" I ask her. She claps her hands together and giggles some more. I laugh as I lean in to kiss her forehead. "Well, your Nee-san needs to leave now before Okaa-san gets mad at me for bothering you because you're suppose to be napping."

I begin to back up she I notice her face begin to crumple up as if to cry. I quickly rush back over to her and pat her head as she quickly calms down. "Shhh, shhhh. I can't stay here forever! How about this? If you stay quiet and go to sleep after I leave, I will play with this evening. Deal?" Hanabi cocks her head to the side as she is trying to understand what I am saying. Then, she acts like she understood because she moves her body around to get comfortable and closes her eyes. I take this moment to leave the room, sliding the door shut behind me. Wow, I didn't know I'm a baby whisperer.

The next few weeks at the Academy came easy to me as I expected. I passed all the homework I was given and any test with above average scores, but they weren't perfect even though I am capable of making them that way. I'm just waiting until next year when we get to learn more Shinobi related things. Whenever I am bored in class, I like to observe my classmates to see how they are progressing. Sakura is wearing a red ribbon in her hair now to pull back her bangs and Ino is sitting beside of her. They pay attention in class and do their work, but I have caught they passing notes to one another and giggling over some girly gossip. Naruto still is breaking his back to get Sasuke to acknowledge him. He has made progress though. Sasuke refers to him as dobe and makes small talk with him every now and then so I think things are going well for them as of now. Naruto comes over to sit with during lunch sometimes when Sasuke isn't in the mood to talk to him and I keep him company. He keeps me entertained by telling me about his latest prank or some other crazy adventure. Every visit is a new story with him.

One day after class ended for the day, I am waiting on Kō to pick me up to take me home when Naruto runs up to me. "Hey! I am dragging teme to the park to play!" he tells me excitedly. "Do you want to come with us?"

I shake my head. "I really wish I could, but my caretaker should be here any minute to pick me up," I reply. Even if I could go with him, I wouldn't. If seems like Sasuke has agreed, or more like forced to, to hang out with Naruto outside of the Academy and I do not want to ruin a potential bonding moment.

Naruto scrunches up his face in confusion? "Huh? A caretaker? What's that?" he asks.

"He is someone that watches me while my parents are busy," I explain. "It is a fancier term for babysitter."

"Oh. Well, why don't cha just say babysitter then?"

I shrug. "My family likes to take things on a more formal approach."

Naruto scratches his head. "Ummm, what?"

I wave my hand. "Oh, nevermind."

Naruto rolls his eyes. "Ehh, you're weird."

I chuckle. "You tell me that all the time."

"But, it's true!"

"Says the one with whiskers on his cheeks."

Naruto's face turns red as he rubs his cheeks. "Those are birthmarks! They aren't weird!"

I laugh and am about to tease him some more when I hear Kō call for me. "Hinata-sama! You ready to go?" As he approaches closer to us, his eyes narrow as he grabs my hand and jerks me away from Naruto. "Hinata-sama! You must not associate yourself around this boy!"

Anger erupts inside of me as Naruto appeared crestfallen by Kō's comment. "Why not?" I question.

"He's a bad influence and Hiashi-sama would not be happy with the both of us if I allow you to hang around him!" Kō harshly replies as I flinch. He's usually a kind and reserved person so his reaction is surprising.

No matter how much I want to throw a temper tantrum right now, I need to calm down and not make a scene. If I plan on being friends with Naruto in a couple of years from now, I need to play it off as I have not been acquainting myself with him so nobody grows suspicious of me. Even though people such as Hiashi knows the true story about Naruto, he would freak out if he finds out I have been talking to him. He will think lowly of Naruto because of the way he acts even though it is just to get attention because he's hurting and lonely inside.

I sigh as I hold in my true feelings and regretfully allow Kō to guide me away from Naruto. I hope he doesn't hate me now. As we walk, Kō tries to fill in the awkward silence. "I hope you are not to mad at me, Hinata-sama. I just need you to understand that-"

"I understand perfectly fine," I tell him coldly.

"Y-you do?" he asks, surprised at my response.

I nod and simply say, "Yeah." I really do not want to go home right now. I'm too pissed off at the moment to speak to my father if Kō decides to tell about this little incident to him. "Kō-san?"

"Yes, Hinata-sama?"

"Before we go back to the compound, may we stop by the library?" I ask. "I want to borrow some books to study."

Kō gives me a nod of approval. "I do not see a problem with that. Hiashi-sama is going to be pleased that you are serious about your Shinobi studies."

Hiashi can kiss my ass right now. I'm doing this for me, not to impress him. As we enter the civilian library, I march up to the main desk and step onto my tiptoes to see the lady sitting behind it. "Good afternoon, little girl! What brings you here today?"

Kō is about to answer for me, but I speak first. I really need to tell him that he doesn't have to do everything for me and I am capable of doing most things myself. "Can you please show or tell me the directions to a section that is age appropriate for Academy students like me to look at books?" I ask.

The lady blinks in response to my unchildlike question before answering. "Sure thing! If you go upstairs, there is a section strictly for Academy students in the back right corner."

I give her a sincere smile and bow. "Thank you so much!" I tell her before heading into the direction that she just told me as Kō rushes to keep up with me.

"Wait up, Hinata-sama!" he says behind me, but I ignore him and run up the stairs.

I am going to follow my mother's advice and focus on other things during my free time. I am really wanting to get a head start on learning how to control my chakra so I can have it perfected by the time I become a Genin. I want to become the best kunoichi I can be before I take the role as the Head when I come of age. I do not want to be seen as some weak girl when I have to face my clan when the time comes to change everything. I make it to the section and wait for Kō to catch up before I start browsing.

"I might be here for awhile," I inform him. "I do not know exactly what I want to check out just yet."

I am telling him this so perhaps he can go away while I search for the right books I need. I want to do all this extra studying and training in secret, which will be hard since I am watched almost all the time. That is why I am wanting to start early since I have limited time throughout my days to learn chakra control and I am not in any rush to learn right now.

Kō bows. "That is fine. Just do not take too long so we do not worry your parents. I will be a couple of rows down if you need me."

He walks off as I quickly begin to scan the bookshelf. Luckily, it is a really tiny section so this will make my search a little easier. I activated my Byakugan so I didn't have to look at each book individually for the title and pulled out two books. "The Theory of Chakra and Chakra Control for Beginners," I mumble to myself before shoving them into my backpack. No, I am not stealing these books. I am just going to secretly borrow them and return them seven years from now. No biggie.

While I do remember mostly everything about chakra from the anime/manga, a refresher will not kill me. That is what the first book is for. The second is, hopefully, going to teach me how to control my chakra and ways to increase my reserves. Being a Hyūga, most of us are born with the natural gift of chakra control so this should come to me easily. I have picked up on the Gentle Fist pretty easily and awakening my Byakugan was a piece of cake, so how hard can controlling chakra be?

 **Author's Note: I am so happy at how much attention this fanfic is getting! Thank you everyone for all the reviews and favs/follows!**

 **Hinata finally got to meet Naruto and some of the other Rookie Nine this chapter. There will be more interactions with them in the next couple of chapters, I promise. She seems to have a soft spot for him. But, any reincarnated fan would since they know Naruto's backstory. Who wouldn't love the little guy?**

 **The optional bachelors for Hinata are Naruto, Sasuke, Lee, Kiba, Shino, Chouji, and Shikamaru. I know some of you asked so here it is! Sorry to any GaaraXHianta and NejiXHinata fans. Gaara isn't in my story much and, while I love NejiXHinata fanfics myself, their relationship in this fic is strictly sibling/cousin/close friends like.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5: Childhood Arc

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Sakura would have been more useful.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Childhood Arc**

 **Chapter five**

I pause in front of the classroom door and take a deep breathe. Ever since the scene Kō created to me about Naruto yesterday, I have been dreading seeing him today. What if he hates me now? He probably thinks I am going to shun him now like almost every other person in the village. Either way, I can't hover in the hallway forever. I need to go in before I am considered late and my instructor gets upset with me. As I enter the room, I notice Naruto sitting beside of Sasuke, who is participating in his daily hobby and looking out the window. Naruto is poking Sasuke's hair with a pencil and whispering "teme… teme… psst hey teme" over and over again. As I walk up the steps to get to my desk, our eye meet. I give him a warm smile. He opens his mouth to say something, but just widens his eyes at me before casting them away. I frown as I sit down. What kind reaction was that? He seems hesitate. I wonder why?

The next few hours went by slowly as usual. I pretend to take notes while I am really reviewing the notes I wrote last night from Chakra Control for Beginners. I had decided to hide them at the bottom of my toy chest. Nobody but me ever goes through it anyways. Last night, when I was suppose to be asleep, I stayed up a couple of hours and looked up the first few chapters of the book and took notes on the more important things. It seems like the easiest place to start practicing chakra control is in a person's hands. I assume that is one of the reasons why Academy students learn ninjutsus that require hand signs such as the Clone Jutsu. Clone Jutsu is a good one for a child to learn because you have to exert out just enough chakra, not any more or any less, or your clone will come out as a flop. I already have some chakra control practice going on from being able to slip a little into my eyes to activate my Byakugan. I haven't made out a schedule yet on when and where I want to practice chakra control, but I will worry about that later.

Before long, Ruki-sensei is telling us that it is lunch time. Everyone immediately breaks off into their little groups like they have everyday for the past month, while I sit alone. As I watch Naruto while I eat, I see that Sasuke must be in one of his moods today because he is ignoring Naruto. During these times, Naruto would just give up and go sit with me to talk. Right now, he is unusually quiet as he picks at his own food. I sigh. I guess I will have to be the one that has to approach the other person first. I get out of my seat as I make my way over to Naruto. I can feel everyone's eyes on me as I do so. They aren't used to the weird quiet kid in the back to actually speak to someone first or rather get out of her seat at all unless it is to leave class for the day.

I tap Naruto's head and mimicked what he did earlier to Sasuke. "Naruto… Naruto… psst hey Naruto!" Out of the reflection of the window, I swear I see Sasuke smirk before it drops back into its usual frown. Someone call the Daimyō! I just made Sasuke smile! Or I am probably just imagining things. Sasuke doesn't believe in smiling.

Naruto glances up at me. "Yeah?"

I cross my arms to appear mad. "Well, that isn't someway to greet someone when they want you to sit with them."

Naruto's face instantly brightens up. "Y-you really want me to sit with you still?" he asks.

I shrug nonchalantly. "Yeah, why not? You do sometimes anyways. Don't act like this is the first time."

Naruto holds up a finger. "But, I'm just asking because yesterday-"

I cover his mouth with my hand. "Sshhh, we aren't going to talk about that."

"Mmmmm mmmm mmm mmm mm," Naruto mumbles from behind his covered mouth. I drag him back to my desk and we both sit down. "Why aren't we going to talk about yesterday? I surely thought you hated me now since your babysitter doesn't want you to be around me."

I arch an eyebrow. "That doesn't make any sense. Why would I hate you just because of someone else?"

Naruto lower his eyes. "Everytime I try to play with someone, their parents usually badmouth me to them in front of me or yell at me and call me bad names," he explains, almost in a whisper. He clenches his fist. "And I don't understand why they do that. They act like I'm some kind of monster. I've never done anything terrible to anyone."

I stay silent for a moment as the pain in his voice hits me. A five year old should never feel like this and be mistreated so badly. I rest my hand on his shoulder. "Well, those people are stupid. I don't think you're a monster or anything bad. You're Uzumaki Naruto and you want to become Hokage one day."

Naruto grins as he pumps his fist into the air. "You bet I do! I'm going to become the greatest Hokage! That way the whole village will stop disrespecting me and treat me like I'm somebody, somebody important!" Oh gosh, there's the famous lines that he says ten thousand more times throughout his life.

"Well, when you do, I will be one of the first to cheer and bow down to you," I promise him.

Naruto continues to grin as his happiness radiates like a sunray throughout the classroom. You wouldn't be able to tell that he was upset just a minute ago. "You know, you're the first person that actually believes in my dream. Everyone else makes fun of me for it."

"You just have to prove them wrong," I tell him. "Just telling people that you want to become Hokage isn't going to make them listen. You have to work hard towards your goal and people will notice and begin taking you seriously."

"I do work hard!" Naruto protests.

"You have to do more then just try to get the other villagers to like and pay attention to you. You have to start with yourself first before moving on to your peers."

Naruto cocks his head to the side. "Start with myself? How do I do that?"

"A good first step is to try your very best while you're at the Academy," I explain.

"I try my best everyday! I just don't understand some stuff like arithmetic."

"That's when you get another instructor to help you or go to the library to study," I say.

Naruto scowls at Ruki. "She never helps me when I ask. She just gives me the look everyone in the village gives me and ignores me. Some instructor."

Yeah, she can be a bitch sometime so I see what Naruto is saying. "Why don't I tutor you sometime?" I ask. I know I said I don't want to be too close to him just yet, but I know Naruto is capable of many things if only someone would've helped him out during his Academy years. I know Iruka did, but he didn't enter the picture until Naruto's last two years of school so it was damaged already done for Naruto and he was too far behind to catch up.

"Are you really good at this stuff?" he asks.

I nod. "Yes I am. It is all very easy to me."

Naruto groans and face plants the desk. "How? That's so not fair!" he complains. "All of it looks like gibberish to me! I can't understand any of it!"

I giggle. "That's why I offered to tutor you so you can understand it. I can tutor you anytime you need me to during lunch or free time." Because everyone in my clan has their noses up my ass to allow me any freedom or privacy to assist him before or after class.

Naruto pumps his fist into the air. "That sounds good to me! Extra studying doesn't sound very fun to me, but if it helps me get a step closer to becoming Hokage then I will do it!"

I clasp my hands together. "That's the spirit!"

Naruto shifts his eyes down towards Sasuke. "Now if only you can tutor teme to stop being a moody person."

I scratch the side of my face with my finger. "Heh, I don't think my teaching will work on him," I tease. "Speaking of Sasuke, did you two have fun at the park yesterday."

Naruto rapidly nods his head. "We did! He was actually in a pretty good mood and we played Shinobi, kick the can, and talked for a while as we swung."

Yay! I'm glad they are growing closer! "If you two had a good time yesterday, why is he like that today?"

Naruto leans into my ear to whisper. "Don't say anything, but he gets in bad mood when he's upset with his brother."

I raise my eyebrows in surprise. "What does his brother do to him?"

Naruto shrugs. "I really don't know. But, all I know is that his brother does this stupid thing where he pokes Sasuke's forehead. Still, I don't know why that would put him in a bad mood."

Oh, I get it now. Sasuke does get upset when Itachi pokes his forehead because it is followed by the usual "Sorry Sasuke. I can't right now. Maybe next time" line. He does

that whenever Sasuke wants to do something with Itachi. He really does look up to his older brother so I can see why that puts him in a bad mood.

* * *

The next couple of months had its ups and downs. The ups were that I was still getting good marks in class, my tutoring sessions with Naruto are actually working, and he and Sasuke are becoming really good friends. The downs were that my training sessions at home now involve sparring Neji at times and Haruna is getting sick. You would think I would be excited to be sparring with Neji. Wrong. It is just another way to let the Elder and my father compare and increase the tension between the Main and Branch House.

I started to enjoy the sparring sessions at first until everyone realized that Neji is more superior than I am when he totally kicked my ass one day. He didn't hurt me. He was just quicker on his feet, sharper in his attacks, and easily blocked my strikes. While I know Hizashi was amused about the whole situation, Hiashi was furious. He lectured me for a long time about how it is embarrassing for a member of the Branch House to outdo the heiress. That day, I truly understood how the original Hinata felt almost everyday of her life. After that day, my training schedule increased but Neji continues to outpower me.

And, I'm not even mad or annoyed that Neji is better than me. I actually expected it. He isn't called a genius for shits and giggles. He has truly understood the concept of the Gentle Fist at a young age while I'm still grasping it. Now, I'm not a weakling. I'm pretty good for my age when it comes to the Gentle Fist from my father's harsh and atrocious training. It's just that Neji is better than I am and I have accepted that. Clearly, Hiashi can't and I'm starting to emotionally pull away from him for acting so cold to me.

The other main reason why his whole demeanor has changed is because of my mother getting sick. Being a child, nobody has told me any details. From my observations, I just know that her sickness was very sudden and is very deadly because she looks worse everyday. Her skin has grown very pale and a little grey. Her hair is falling out as her nails are growing brittle and she's lost a lot of weight from not eating. The glow in her eyes has faded away and she doesn't smile as much anymore. It's like this illness is draining her life source. She literally looks like death and it terrifies me.

From being sick, she cannot breastfeed or be around Hanabi much to take care of her so that makes the baby in a continuous bad mood. Hanabi is a natural happy baby so for her to be crying all the time is out of character. I think she senses something is wrong with her mother since she, and Hiashi, is hardly ever around and that breaks my heart. That baby needs her parents… And so do I. I don't like coming home from the Academy anymore. I'm always walking into a grave atmosphere. I come home, do my homework, get yelled at by Hiashi as I train, eat dinner alone, play with Hanabi, and try to push all these troubles to the back of my mind as I concentrate on my chakra books. Same routine everyday.

However, that routine changed one night. As I was training with my father, with Neji and Hizashi watching from the sidelines, it was interrupted as a servant ran into the room without permission. "Hiashi-sama!" he cries frantically.

Hiashi narrows his eyes as I stop for a quick water break. "This better be important."

The servant gives my father a sad look. "It's Haruna-sama. S-she dying."

I spit out my water and drop my glass to the ground as it scatters into a million pieces. I feel my heart begin to beat fast as a lump forms in my throat. What did he just say? Hiashi looks at his servant with frightful eyes before pushing past him and sprinting out of the room. I run after him. I follow him down several hallways and into their bedroom. My mother is laying on her bed, with people surrounding her, coughing loudly. Blood spatters into her hand as I close my eyes to avoid the scene. She's dying. My mother can not be dying! I know she wasn't shown in the anime/manga, but I didn't know she dies!

I open my eyes as tears begin to stream down them. I feel a hand rest on my shoulder and look up to see Hizashi giving me a sympathetic look. Neji emerges to my right as he reaches out to grab my hand. I ignore their comfort as I glance up at my father. He's speechless as he pitifully stares at his dying wife. He breaks out of his trance and walks over to her. He bends down by her side and caresses her cheek. She gives him a small smile and whispers something in his ear.

Hiashi gets back up. "Bring me Hanabi-chan. Now!" he barks as a lady scrambles out of the room to retrieve my baby sister. "Hinata-chan. Come over here."

Neji and Hizashi let go of me as I run over to my parents and climb onto the bed. I crawl over to the pillow next to my mother's head to get a better look at her. "A-are you really dying?" I ask, wiping away my tears.

Haruna smoothed down my hair and runs her hand down my face as she gives me her usual bright smile. "Hinata-chan, you know I love you very much, right?" I nod my head. "Good. You need to listen what I am about to tell you since I think you are mature enough to hear it. Yes, I am dying. However, I need you to listen to me and stay strong. Stay strong for your Otou-san, stay strong for Hanabi-chan, and stay strong for the rest of our clan. Especially to Hanabi-chan." As she speaks, the lady comes back in with Hanabi and hands her to my mother, who begins to cradle her. Hanabi quietly looks into her eyes.

"She is going to grow up without a mother in her life and I need you to be there for her and help guide her. Be the best Nee-san any younger sibling will be lucky to have. Always be there for her and take care of her. She's going to look up to you so you must never give her a reason not to. Be kind and gentle to her but teach her how to be strong and independent. She's going to get lonely and confused at times when she sees other people with their mothers and you will be the person who will comfort her and tell her everything's okay." Her lips begin to quiver as tears falls from her eyes.

"Hinata-chan. You need to promise me that you will continue to be a good and obedient child to you father. Continue to succeed at the Academy and I know you are going to grow up to be a strong kunoichi and leader of our clan. Always treat your peers with kindness and respect and always stand up for what you believe in. Don't each too much cinnamon buns and try to get a goodnight's rest for me every once in awhile. I know you hate to sleep." I giggle at her little joke as I hear tears splash onto my clothes.

"Continue being the kind and sweet girl you are. Never change no matter what anybody says to you. I know you are going to do big things one day and know that I will always be watching you and Hanabi-chan. I will always be listening if you need to talk. I will always be by your side when you are having good days and bad. I will still be with you through everything. I will always love you, Hinata-chan." She looks down at Hanabi and kisses her forehead. "And, I will always love you Hanabi-chan. I know you will grow up to be a bright and excited child. You are always so happy and curious about everything. I can't wait to watch you grow up and see how lovely you become. Make sure to always listen to your sister and father and try not to pick up your sister's bad habits of eating sweets and not sleeping. Make sure you do your best at the Academy also and make friends who will support you and have your back. I see you doing great things with your life and can't wait to see what kind of kunoichi you will be."

She looks back at me once more. "Hinata-chan, please take care of everybody and never change. I love you so so much and I will always be watching over you."

I wrap my arms around her neck as she wiggles out a free arm to hug me back. "I love you, too," I sob.

We stay like this for a few minutes before she pulls back and kisses my forehead and smoothed down my hair once more. The lady picks up Hanabi as Hiashi reaches over and lifts me up. The realization officially hit me that this is goodbye and I will never see her again after this. I will never wake up to her breakfast again or hearing her sing in the shower. I will never see her smile again or hear her laugh. I will never be able to tell her about my days and problems anymore or hear her advice. She's never going to kiss me goodnight ever again or tell me she loves me. She will never see me have my first friend. I will never be able to tell her about my first kiss, my first date, my first love, my first promotion, my first mission. She's going to miss Hanabi's first steps, first words, first day of school. She's going to miss a lot of firsts and I will never get to enjoy experiencing those with her. She can't die. I don't want her to die. She's my mother. She isn't suppose to die.

Hiashi hands me over to Hizashi as I wrap my arms around his neck. "Take her to her room and watch over her until I get back," he say before walking back over to Haruna. I guess her dying is affecting him if he's going to let his own brother actually watch me instead of Kō or a nanny.

Hizashi simply nods before taking me to my room with Neji trailing behind him. I continue to sob into Hizashi's shoulder as he lets go of me to put me on the ground but I keep holding onto him. I don't care if he hates me right now. I need a shoulder to cry on, literally and metaphorically, and I just want to feel comforted right now. Hizashi must've sensed this because he allows me to stay in my position as he sits down on my bed. Neji climbs up to join us.

"Your mother is going to a better place now." Hizashi says to me after a few quiet minutes. I keep my head buried into his shoulder, pretending that he didn't make such a cliché comment. "She's not going to feel anymore pain or sorrow. She is going to be set free forever and she will be happier." He prys me off of his shoulder and stares me straight in the eyes. "You need to stay strong like she advised you and not break her promises."

I wipe my tears away and I sigh heavily. "I-I do want to stay strong, but I think I will need some time."

Hizashi gives me a kind smile. "That is understandable. Just remember what she said and never forget it. She loves you very much and is entrusting her will to you to carry on her wishes." I nod as I look away, my chest swelling up with grief. I do not want to speak again in fear of having another sobbing episode.

I make eyes with Neji as he raises his eyebrows in worry while trying to give me a reassuring smile. He grabs ahold of my hand. "Everything will be okay, Hinata-sama," he tells me. "I will always be here for you." Even though his mother died when he was just a baby, I don't think he exactly knows what is going on. He just knows that I'm in pain and he's trying his best to protect me from it.

I give him a thankful smile. "Thank you, Neji-nii-san. I'm going to need you."

* * *

The atmosphere at home in the following days were somber. After my mother's private funeral, my father spiraled into depression. He hasn't been eating, sleeping, or socializing much with others. He has cancelled all of my training sessions for the week and has locked himself in his office, ordering his servants and nannies to watch over me and Hanabi. I have requested to have Neji by side whenever he wa a free so I didn't have to spend my time with people I hardly knew or Kō.

My own feelings have been bottled up ever since the day my mother died. After my talk with Hizashi, I realized that I do need to stay strong. Especially since my father's mental state is unfit to take care of his children or clan at the moment. Whenever I am not at school or with Neji, I am spending my time with Hanabi. She's five months old now so she's going to be talking and walking in a few months and needs some proper guidance from someone and I want that person to be me. I've been doing things such as repeating certain words to her, reading books, and showing her different shapes and colors just to let her start recognizing and hearing them. From the anime/manga, I know she becomes intelligent, independent, and gifted and I just want to give her a head start.

I haven't told Naruto what happened to my mother yet. I feel like I shouldn't because his life is already tragic enough and I'm one of the few people he can actually open up to and be himself without feeling any negative emotion. I don't want to give him the burden that he has to make me feel better and worry about me. It might be a stupid reason, but that's just how I feel. I will tell him later when the pain of my mother's death has subsided and I can speak about it without crying.

However, someone from my class did find out about my mother's death and surprised me one morning by approaching me about it. I am sitting alone at my desk when I notice Sasuke passing his and making his way towards me. Naruto isn't here yet and he usually sits by himself either way so I am wondering why he is coming to me. He stands besides my desk and shoves his hands into his pockets. He has an odd look on his face as he seems to be struggling to find the right words to speak.

I decide to initiate the conversation first. "Good morning, Sasuke-kun," I greet. "What's up?"

Sasuke looks slightly startled that I spoke first. "I heard about your mother," he tells me. "I just want to give you my apologies." He softens his features.

Wait, why is Sasuke saying these things? I mean, it is respectful to apologize for someone's loved one's death. But, the kid has never said one word to me. He smirked at my joke towards Naruto a couple of months ago, but that's the only interaction we've ever had and that movement was an indirect one.

"Thank you," I reply politely. He nods before walking off to his seat. I just gaze at his back in confusion. What was that all about?

 **Author's Note: Sorry this chapter was a little short! The next chapter is going to be longer. But, I hope you all enjoyed it! Thank you for all the follows/favs and reviews! They are all important to me. I'm sorry that I killed off Haruna but I think it was expected. At least her and Naruto are good again, but what's up with Sasuke? Why is he randomly talking to her? Find out next time on Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess!**

 **….. Sorry, I felt like playing narrator lol.**


	6. Chapter 6: Childhood Arc

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or I would remove the stick up Hiashi's ass.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Childhood Arc**

 **Chapter six**

"Stop!" Hiashi yells as Neji quickly gets out of his fighting stance while I pick myself up from the ground and brush off my clothes. Neji and I were having a sparring match where he promptly kicked my ass like usual. "Hinata! How many times are you going to allow yourself to get knocked down before you learn your mistakes?!" Oh, shit. He didn't use any honorifics. He's pissed.

I look nervously at him. Ever since my mother's death a year ago, my father has changed. He's become more cold and harsh. He is always criticizing and yelling at me during my training sessions and then isolates himself in his office for the rest of the day. Besides my sessions, I only see him during dinner with Hanabi. Even then, he stays mostly tense and silent. If he's in a good mood, he will play with Hanabi some and make small talk with me before retreating back to his office. Out of everybody, Haruna's death has hit him the hardest and I understand that. What I don't understand is why he is treating his own children like crap?

Hiashi narrows his eyes. "Well?"

I do not answer as I avert my eyes. Times like these is when I learn to just avoid his verbal lashings and just take it. There's no use to be talking back because he never listens and continues to lecture me.

Hiashi signs and rubs his temples. "How can I expect you to rule this clan one day when you can't simply respond back to me? Or comprehend the mistakes you are making? Or beat your opponent?"

Why does he have to act so melodramatic? I'm six. I am not ruling the clan anytime soon. Out of anyone, he should understand that I am still building up my stamina and strength from the illness that made my body feeble. I am doing well in my classes and I have been picking up on the Gentle Fist pretty well. I just need to get stronger and work on my fighting tactics. It isn't the end of the world.

Hiashi gets up and heads for the door. "You two are dismissed. I expect different results tomorrow, Hinata," he growls as he leaves the room, slamming the door behind him.

Neji gives me an uneasy look. "Is it wise for you to just ignore Hiashi-sama like that?"

I shrug. "I really don't care. If I speak back, all he will do is brand my words as excuses and continue to yell at me."

"Should I start going easy on you so you do not get fussed at?" Neji asks. He's always trying to protect me in some way.

I shake my head. "No, don't do that. That wouldn't help me out at all. I need you to continue going hard on me or I will never improve." Now, I wouldn't mind if he relaxes a little because I always leave our match with bruises and sore body parts. But, I know I can't allow that.

"Well, maybe I can help you out," Neji tells me. "I don't like when Hiashi-sama acts so harsh towards you. What are you struggling with that I can possibly help you improve on?"

"I can avoid, block, and defend myself all day," I start. "However, my troubles begin when I have to go on the offensive. I lack power and fluidity behind my strikes. When I figure out an opening, I feel my reaction time is slow because the stances I am in makes me feel awkward and sluggish. Because of that, I end up getting attacked first." I know these are some of the reasons why original Hinata struggled with the Gentle Fist's traditional fighting style for so long before finally creating her own style of it. Maybe I should get ahead start on that instead of limiting myself.

Neji's mind goes into thinking mode. "You and I already know that you lack stamina and strength, but you are already working on those areas so I'm not going to worry about that. You seem to be in the correct stances since you never get lectured for that. But, you do need to work on your fighting tactics."

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. I already knew all of that! I'm just going to go with my idea and learn original Hinata's fighting style. It was badass in my eyes when she performed the Protecting Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms for the first time.

"Maybe you can help me with that then," I tell him. "Wanna start now? I have nothing else to do."

Neji nods. "Yes."

For a seven year old, Neji's not a bad instructor. In just twenty short minutes, he has made me realize that my attacking methods are sloppy. I focus too much on being on the defensive so when I go into attack I try to recoil back into that position as fast as possible. He tried to get me to glide more on my feet instead of awkwardly moving them, but my body wouldn't allow me in these current stances. Oh, well. At least I know what I need to work on now. If Neji was just a few years older than me, I would request for him to train me instead of my father.

* * *

The next day at school, I can barely move from being so sore from yesterday. I swear if Hiashi tries to make me train today I'm going to throw a temper tantrum. I've been training for a week straight now and I feel like I'm not getting a break unless I beat Neji. I wish he would just get over that and focus on my positives for a little while. I mean, I'm at the top of my class right now. Have I heard any compliments about that? Nooooo.

The only reason I'm at the top of my class is because the first two years at the Academy is written work and learning basic school subjects and all that is easy to me. Our third year is when we start learning about chakra, learning our first jutsu, and sparring one another so I am going to slip down to an average student when next year rolls around. I'm not holding back because I think I'm going to surpass everybody, I already know that I won't. I just do not want to change things like I have mentioned before. If I show my instructors next year that I already know everything about chakra and I am starting to learn how to control it at a young age, I'm going to be watched and that's not a good thing. I am not become Orochimaru's next experiment or become one of Danzo's emotionless soldiers. Screw that!

What I am becoming is Naruto's friend. I know I said I wouldn't until later, but the kid is awesome! Who wouldn't want to be friends with him? He always shares with me the most entertaining jokes and stories, tells me all the pranks he's going to pull before he goes through with them to get my opinion on them, and is always there for me when I need him. He somehow found out about my mother's death, probably from Sasuke, and effortlessly cheered me up. He's his own little ray of sunshine and I can't help to feel nothing but happiness around him. He's a good stress reliever from my exhausting life as Hiashi's daughter.

What I haven't become is Sasuke's friend or acquaintance or anything. After that day, over a year ago, when he randomly came up to be and apologized about my mother's death and then walked off, I thought that would be the beginning of some sort of relationship between us. Sasuke just doesn't go up to people and talk to them without reason so I was very confused when he never spoke or looked at me again. I asked Naruto if Sasuke has ever talked about me, but he said no. So, I have just finally came to the conclusion that he was just trying to be polite since family matters a lot to him and was showing me some sympathy. I mean, I'm not upset or disappointed over it. It was just a little odd, but then again everything about the Narutoverse is.

Today's lesson is boring as hell so I am glad when class finally ends for the day. Naruto decided to sit with Sasuke during lunch since he was in a good mood, so I ate alone. I never mind though when he does that. He and Sasuke have gotten very close over the past year and have a relationship that contains a mixture of brotherhood, best friends, and rivalry. They argue with each other all the time and call each other names, well it's mostly one sided since Naruto is very hotheaded, and are always trying to outdo one another. But, they also joke around and hang out outside of school and I've noticed the fan girls getting jealous of Naruto sometimes. They want to know his secret to how he got Sasuke to stop looking out a window and open up to him and actually making him smile and laugh. I want to know the secret also, well sort of, because I didn't think Sasuke believed in smiling in public. I thought he liked acting emo. I could make up a evil rumor that Sasuke only likes boys to break their little hearts, but I don't think that would settle very well with him.

When I go outside, I find Kō waiting on me. I've always wondered does he even have a life besides being my caretaker? He's a fifteen year old Genin whom I never seen go on a mission or hang out around his team. He seems to be always at the compound to take me to and from school and then watch over until I am done with my studies. That must be a sucky life. "Hi, Kō-san!" I greet as I take his hand.

He smiles. "Good afternoon, Hinata-sama! You seem to be in a good mood."

"I passed my test today with a perfect score," I tell him, slightly irritated. He is acting like I'm always in a bad mood. I mean, when I am around him I usually am because he likes to live up Hiashi's asshole and tell him literally everything I do. It is annoying.

"Again? That's great!" he praised. Well, at least he compliments me on my achievements unlike my father. That's one of the few things I like about the kid.

I shrug. "It's always easy. I can't wait to start learning justus next year!"

"I bet those will come easy to you as well," Kō tells me.

See, this is how children like Neji and Sasuke get swelled heads and become arrogant. They get praised too much and then they think they are the greatest beings to ever walk the Earth. How does he know that the jutsu will come easy to me? What if I struggle with them? He's going to feel stupid then for giving me false encouragement.

"I hope not," I admit to him. "I want a challenge."

"If you say so," Kō says. Ugh, I give up. These people needs to stop protecting my feelings and serving me things on silver platter or I will never grow to be a independent kunoichi. Good thing I will be able to start gaining more freedom when I turn eight. Only two more years. "Before we head to the compound, Hiashi-sama wants me to go into the village and buy you your first official weapon."

A mixture of excitement and fear overwhelms me. "Why?" I ask. I'm afraid I might somehow hurt myself. I've seen how sharp those kunai knives are!

"He wants you to get a head start and start practicing with weapons a little," he explains to me. "Sometimes, Shinobi fights with weapons. Basic weaponary like kunais and shurikens are great for deflecting, long range attacks, and for ambushing. Every Shinobi has to have some sort of training in bukijutsu. It is a necessity."

"Isn't he afraid I'm going to poke my eye out or something?" I ask. Only in the Narutoverse is it okay to have a young child wield a knife around.

"What? No," Kō replies. "Do not worry. Hiashi-sama would not entrust weapon training on you if he did not feel that you were not ready."

"Can I pick out any kind of weapon I want?"

"Within reason, you may."

"Okay. I want explosive tags then!"

"... No."

Damn it. Always ruining my fun.

Kō and I walk into a store and begin browsing the shelves. While I am not interested in learning bukijutsu, I do know that Shinobi have some skill in it. If I'm going to get familiar with any weapon, I am thinking about choosing kunai knives and some wire. Being a close range taijutsu fighter, my opponent might be out of my range sometimes. Hurling a kunai with a string of wire attached to it can circle around the opponent and trap them so I can bring them closer to me. I've always wondered why Hyūgas never incorporated long range attacks or ninjutsus to their fighting style. I know the Gentle Fist is a very difficult style to study, but it wouldn't hurt to throw in one long range attack in their. I guess the Eight Trigrams: Air Palm is the best they can do even though it is a mid-range attack.

"I'm going to look down a different aisle," I tell Kō.

"Okay, but do not stray too far," he says.

I go down the next few aisles in search for some wire. I've already found my pack of kunai I want, but finding wire is almost impossible at this point. I can't find it anywhere! I go down the last aisle and have my eyes set on tunnel vision as I look down at the shelves as I walk. Suddenly, my body collides into something hard as I stumble backwards while grabbing onto a shelf to catch my balance.

"Excuse me! I'm so sorry!" I apologize quickly.

"You need to pay more attention to your surroundings," a male voice replies as I widen my eyes. Itachi Uchiha is standing in front of me with little Sasuke right next to him.

I look at him as I remain speechless. The loving older brother of Sasuke, who is a talented Shinobi and powerful enough to massacre his whole clan, is right in front of me. He is also cute. Hey, don't judge me. I resist the urge to fangirl. He was my favorite male character in the anime/manga. Okay, calm down. He's not an adult yet. He's only an eleven year old kid who is Chunin and can totally kick your ass. Behave yourself.

"I'm sorry," I say again after recovering from my mini internal session with myself. "I was just looking for some wire."

Itachi points to a small bin beside of him. "They are right in there. We were actually stocking up on some as well."

"Oh, thank you," I awkwardly reply. Damn, I know this kid is more mature than I can ever dream about being. But, he's stale. Where's his personality?

"I do not mean to pry, but why is someone as young as you interested in wire?" he asks. Young? Says the one who put himself through reckless training at four years old.

"If I connect it to a kunai I can use it for long range attacks," I explain. Is it that big of a deal?

"Hmm, it is interesting that you to come up with that tactic," Itachi tells me.

I frown. Is he making fun of me? I ignore his comment as I glance over at his little brother. "Hey, Sasuke-kun! It is nice to see you," I tell him.

Sasuke nods his head. "You, too."

"Are you a friend of my brother?" Itachi asks.

"I'm in his class," I say, avoiding his question. "My name is Hinata."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Hinata?" He looks over at Sasuke. "Is this the girl that you talk about?" Okay, is he that oblivious or is he lowkeying teasing his younger brother.

I give Sasuke an odd look as his face grows red and he turns his head to the side, scowling. Talking about me? Why in the world would Sasuke talk about me? I can see that Sasuke is refusing to respond to his brother so I change the subject. "Well, it was great seeing you, Sasuke-kun" I tell him if though he continue to look away in embarrassment. I turn to Itachi. "It was nice meeting you, It- um…." Crap! I can't say his name! I'm not supposed to know him.

He gives me a kind smile. "Itachi."

I nod nervously. "Yes, Itachi." I grab a pack of wire and stuffed it in my shopping basket. "I must go back to my caretaker now. You two have a wonderful afternoon." I now and scurry off before they can say anything back.

Damn it! I can't believe I almost slipped up back there. You can let your fangirl crush on Itachi get to you! Focus on Sasuke. Why would he be talking about me? I don't even speak to the kid. Maybe I should ask him tomorrow. I find Kō and rush over to his side.

"I'm ready to go! I found the wire!" I tell him.

He gives me a confused look. "Are you alright, Hinata-sama? You are breathing heavily."

I wave my hand. "I'm just excited to get home and start training!" I tug on his arm. "Let's go!" And get the hell away from these Uchiha boys before my head explodes from all these confusing thoughts.

* * *

I arrive earlier than usual to class the next day. I want to ask Sasuke what's he has been saying about me to his brother or family. I do not speak to him. I am not even interesting enough to be talked about! I'm the strange and quiet kid that sits in the back of the class and is friends with the village outcast. Apparently I have weird eyes, thanks Naruto, but that isn't worth talking about.

I walk up to his desk and sit down beside of him. He looks away from the window and arches an eyebrow. "What?"

I roll my eyes. "Good morning to you, too."

"What do you want?" he asks in a deadpan voice.

Well, I was planning on asking him in a way that wouldn't embarrass him. But, I change my mind. "So, you seem to talk about me a lot to your brother." I wink at him as his face turns red and he looks away like he did yesterday. "Hey, don't be shy."

Sasuke shoots me a dirty look as I cover my mouth with my hand to hold back a giggle. "Shut up!" he hisses. "Stop saying such idiotic things out loud!"

Oops. It looks like I hit a nerve. Serves you right for being a jerk. I smirk. "All I want to know is what you say about me," I reply back in an innocent voice.

Sasuke narrows his eyes. "It is none of your business," he snaps.

I lean in closer to him. I know that will bug him. "It is my business if you are talking about me," I tell him.

He leans away from me and glares. "W-what are you doing?"

I lean back. "Sorry, I have no respect for personal space," I joke.

Sasuke rolls his eyes. "If I tell you, will you leave me alone?"

I lift my pinky finger. "Pinky promise!"

Sasuke just stares at me. "Pinky promise?"

I nod. "Yeah! We wrap our pinkies around each other. It solidifies a promise."

Sasuke pinches his nose. "I've never heard of that before. You're weird."

I grin. "That's not the first time I've been called that."

Sasuke sighed and holds out his pinky. We intertwine our pinkies before he quickly pulls away. "We are never doing that again," he tells me.

"Just tell me what you say about me," I say.

Sasuke grows slightly red again and averts his eyes. "I don't speak about you a lot. Only sometimes," he says. "I just mention to my brother that you're the only girl in my class that doesn't obsess over me."

I move my hands in a circular motion. "Annnnd?" I know there is more. I can see it on his face.

He rolls his eyes. "I also tell him that you're pretty funny when you make fun of Naruto and you're not annoying."

I widen my eyes. If Sasuke tells you that he doesn't find you annoying, you better take that damn compliment to heart. He is hard to impress. Oh, and he finds me funny. Yes! "I'm flattered that you say nice things about me," I admit. "But, why would you? We've never spoken before."

Sasuke turns his back towards me and stares out the window. "I'm not saying anything else. I already told you what I say about you so drop it."

"Wait! Why are you talking about Hinata-chan for?" I hear Naruto ask loudly behind me. "And to whom?"

I begin to crack up as Sasuke shoots Naruto the scariest glare ever. "Shut up, baka!" he growls.

"Why are you getting mad at me? I didn't do anything wrong!" Naruto whines. Sasuke crossed his arms and ignores him. Naruto shifts his eyes over to me. "What's his problem?"

I shrug and stand up to get out of his seat. "I will let you ask him yourself."

Naruto gives me a mischievous grin. "Okay!" I know he loves to bug the shit out of Sasuke when he's in a bad mood. I allow Naruto to have his fun as I step aside and head up to my desk.

Before I can sit down, someone harshly taps on my shoulder. I spin around and see Ino and Sakura standing there with their hands on their hips. They didn't look happy. I arch an eyebrow. "Um, hi?"

"What did you do to Sasuke that made him so upset?" Ino asks in an angry tone.

I glance down at a brooding Sasuke and back at her. "He's always like that," I tell him.

"Don't make fun of Sasuke!" Sakura shrieks as I take a step back in surprise.

The hell? What's their problem?! I hold my hands up. "Whoa, whoa. Calm down," I tell her.

"Don't tell me to calm down! I will not allow you to talk about Sasuke like that!"

I groan. "Look, I really don't want to mess around with a bunch of bratty fan girls like you two right now."

Ino raises an eyebrow. "Is that a threat?"

I throw my hands up. "How was that a threat?!" These girls are crazy! I didn't think they were this bad over Sasuke!

"Just leave Sasuke alone!" Ino yells, pointing a finger at my face.

Oh, hell no. That's crossing the line. I grab her finger and twist it downwards as she yells in pain. "How about you leave me alone if you know what's best for you?" I warn. "Now, that's a threat." Okay, I'm not going to back my threat up and hit Sakura and Ino. But, I know that I can beat the shit out of them if I felt like it. I know in this universe, I would probably get rewarded for it instead of punished.

"I'm sorry! Let go of me!" Ino begs as tears begin to stream down her face. I let go of her her finger as Sakura grabs her arm and drags her to their fan girl circle. I sigh. What idiots.

I feel someone staring at me and notice Naruto and Sasuke looking up at me. I am pretty sure they just witnessed the scene that just occurred. Naruto appears to be confused as he scratches the top of his head. Sasuke is smirking at me and appears amused before turning his attention back to Naruto. He seems to be telling Naruto now want just happened so he isn't confused anymore. I guess since, from my perspective, I am not on Sasuke's shit list, I see a potential friendship forming in the near future. Yes, I guess you can say I am abandoning my idea of not being friends with anyone until later. I mean, I highly doubt things are going to change just because I decide to make some friends.

* * *

I sling my wrist as a I flick a kunai towards Neji. He jumps out of the way before I manipulate the wire attached to the kunai to move. It wraps itself around Neji's leg a couple of times and I jerk my arm back. The wire tightens as Neji flies in the air towards me. I recoil my palm back and strike him in the shoulder as he crashes to the ground. I bite the wire in half and I jump backwards to get out of range. Neji quickly gets up, throws the wire away from him, and gets back into his fighting stance. I smirk as I begin to feel confident. I actually trapped Neji and landed attack on him for once! I hope Hiashi is finally proud of me.

I snap out of my thoughts as I dodge Neji's palm and block another one. I pocket my weapons as I spin around and throw a low kick towards his feet. He jumps into the air and I kick my leg upwards to follow him. It almost makes contact as he does a backflip just in time to get out of the way. As he lands, he pushes forward on his feet and springs over to me. I raise my arms up to block the attack heading towards my shoulder, but he switches up last second and makes contact with me in my chest. I am knocked a few steps back as I slip out of my defensive stand to catch my breathe.

Neji takes that opportunity to hit my shoulder and arm before spinning around and throws a roundhouse kick towards me. I recover from last two attacks and manage to stop his kick by grabbing it. I kick his back leg to make him lose his balance as I throw his other leg down. He stumbles around as I knee him in the chest and strike him multiple times before sending him to the ground. I pull out my kunai again and hold it to his throat as I pin him down with my knees and free arm. Neji gives me a nod of approval as my face brightens up and I grin. I won! I actually beat Neji!

"Enough," Hiashi says calmly as I remove my kunai from Neji's neck and help him stand up. We both bow towards each other and face my father. He's so stone faced that I can't read him at all. "You seem to have improved the past two weeks. I am happy to see it has finally clicked in your head and you are working on your mistakes." Actually, Neji has been training with me the past couple of weeks but I will take the credit. He would get pissed if he finds out a member of the Branch House is helping me improve on my flaws.

"Thank you," I say.

"However, you are far from meeting my standards," Hiashi says, destroying all my hopes and dreams. Well, not really. But, he really knows how to build a person up and then tear them down. "I advise you to continue practicing on your own time."

"Yes, sir," I mumble.

Hiashi looks over at Neji. "You are dismissed."

Neji bows. "Thank you, Hiashi-sama." He leaves the room.

I watch him slid the doors shut before turning back to Hiashi. I can tell he has more to say to me since he hasn't dismissed me just yet. "What is it, Otou-san?" I ask.

I swear he gives me a sad glance before putting his cold mask back on. "I'm hard on you for a reason, Hinata-chan," he tells me.

That's random. I cock my head to the side. "What do you mean?"

"I see a lot of potential in you and believe you can be a great Head one day," he admits as I soak in his compliment. He doesn't give them out often so I am hanging on to every word. "I just feel like you are holding yourself back."

Holding myself back? Why would I do that? I shake my head. "I don't think I am," I say. "I try my best all the time."

Hiashi furrows his eyebrows. "Ah. Maybe it is just my speculation then. Still, I feel you can do better. You can be better. You are a gifted child and I just want you to embrace it."

Me? Gifted? Ha! Funny. Not compared to Neji. But, if Hiashi is admitting to me that he thinks I am gifted then I believe him a little. He has no reason to lie to me and he doesn't say things for the heck of it.

Hiashi turns around and heads toward the door. "We are done for the day," he says. "I will be in my study if you need me."

He leaves the room and a lonely sensation grows inside me. I miss him comforting me and acting like his old self. Him complimenting me just now is have me craving for more attention and affection. He doesn't show me ethier anymore and I miss his fatherly love towards me. Neji's dad always show his love to his own son. Why can't my father act like that to his own daughters? Both men have lost their wives but I guess everyone copes differently. I sigh as I trudge out of the room and walk down the hallway.

I try to not think of my mother much since her death. I do not like feeling sad or miserable and I hate when people take pity on me. Every time someone does, I usually ignore the comment or politely reply back and then brush them off. I have been repressing any negative emotions and have been trying to keep my promise and stay strong for everyone, especially my sister. I creep into her room and peek over her crib to find her peacefully sleeping.

I just stare at her. I'm thinking selfishly right now. Here I am yearning for my father's affection when Hanabi has never experienced it. The only attention he gives my sister is when he feeds her and sees her at dinner. Basically, her own caretaker is raising her. How sad. That's why I try my best to be around her. When I am, I am always playing with her, making her laugh, and showing her love. I hope she doesn't forget those moments when she gets older. I don't want her to grow up to be emotionless or angry at the world because she was never shown any love and affection. I reach down and lightly smooth down her hair and tiptoe out of the room, silently sliding the door behind me. Sometimes, I wish Hizashi was mine and Hanabi's father and that Neji was my older brother. I think I would be much happier around them living as a Branch member instead of leaving the luxuries as a Main member and feeling lonely.

I stop walking and just stand in the middle of the hallway. Man, I'm bored. Hanabi is sleeping, Neji is doing something at his house, and my father is hiding in his study. I really do not feel like reading my chakra books until bedtime, since I do that almost every night, or training anymore for the day. If I was allowed to hang out with Naruto outside of the Academy, I would be with him right now. I'm not close enough to Sasuke yet to possibly pay him a visit, if my father even allowed it, to see him. I sigh. I guess I will just go to my room and take a nap or something. Days like these is when I wish my mother was still alive. Everything would be normal again. Ugh, I miss her.

 **Author's Note: Sorry for the late update. I do post on Thursdays, but my internet has been down all the day. It was down for all Charter users. It sucked lol. I can't survive without my internet. Anyways, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter! There is two more chapters of OC Hinata's childhood left before she finally graduates from the Academy and the real fun begins! I am just so happy in how many people are so interested in this story and I thank all of you! I appreciate all favs/follows and reviews, good or bad. I hope you all have a great night or day!**

 **Question: Besides the Gentle Fist, what kind of jutsus would you be interested in Hinata learning and using in battle? I have my ideas but I always love to hear readers opinions.**


	7. Chapter 7: Childhood Arc

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or I would be rich.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Childhood Arc**

 **Chapter seven**

"Hinata-chan," my father greets as I walk into his study. He points at the empty chair in front of his desk. "Sit." He does not look happy.

I quickly scan through my recent memories as I walk over to the chair. I haven't done anything wrong. I have been improving in my training, I am making good marks at the Academy, I have been nice to my sister, and I have been arriving home on time since I have had my new found freedom, which was granted to me by my father to when I turned eight years of age a few months ago. So, why does he look so disappointed right now? I sit down and nervously look up at him, waiting for him to speak.

"Ever since I have entrusted you with this new freedom of yours, what have you been doing with it?"

I give him a puzzled look. Why is he asking that? "I have been training or hanging out with friends," I answer honestly.

"Would one of those friends be Uzumaki Naruto?" Hiashi asks.

I freeze on the spot. Shit. What should I do? Lie? No, he has a reason for asking me this. He must know something. I lower my eyes. "What would happen if I say yes?"

He sighs. "I told you that you were not allowed to hang around that boy."

"How did you know I am friends with him?" I ask.

"I have my ways," he replies.

He has his ways? What is he doing? Spying on me… oh wait. My heart drops. "H-have you been spying on me?" I ask, praying that he hasn't been. Hiashi doesn't speak for a moment. I widen my eyes in realization. "Wait, you're not personally spying on me. You are sending someone else to take that job. You don't trust me!"

My father narrows his eyes. "Hinata-chan. Calm down."

I clench my fists as a spark of anger ignites inside of me. "W-why? Why don't you trust me?" I ask. I swallow a lump of betrayal down my throat. "I-I have done nothing to break your trust. I try to impress you all the time. I train hard just to hear you say you're proud of me. But, you never do. I study all the time to get perfect marks just to hear you tell me I'm doing a great job. But, you never do!" I hear myself starting to get louder. "I try to be the perfect daughter, but nothing I do is ever good enough for you! You're always criticizing me and putting me down! You point out my flaws and never help me work on them! You-"

Hiashi slams his fist down on his desk. "Hinata! Be quite! That's enough! I did not call you in here to talk about this. Stop trying to change the topic at hand!"

I shut my mouth and avert my eyes. That rant just lifted a huge weight off my shoulder, even though I didn't get to complete it. But, why should I listen to him? He never listens to me! Obviously, he doesn't trust me anymore, for some reason, so why should I respect him? I have had enough of his shit. "No, I will not be quite," I growl.

Hiashi arches an eyebrow. He seems surprised by my reaction. "Excuse me?" His precious little heiress has never talked back to daddy before. Well, things are about to change.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath to compose myself. I am not one to get angry so quickly, but everyone has their breaking point and I do not want to totally erupt just yet. I open my eyes and stare intensely into my father's eyes. "If you can give me the reason why I am not allowed to hang around Naruto-kun, then I will drop the subject right now," I tell him.

Hiashi matches my stare with the same level of intensity. "I cannot disclose that with you."

I cross my arms. "Then, I'm going to continue to hang around him."

"No, you are not."

"Yes, I am."

"Hinata, I am your father and you will listen to me!" Hiashi snaps.

I continue to test my limits as I shake my head. "Otou-san," I begin, calmly. "I always listen to you. But, I will not listen to you when it comes to shunning another human being. He has done nothing to deserve the kind of treatment everyone gives him. The villagers act like he's a monster or something." I pause as I see Hiashi's eyebrow twitch at my last comment. "But, he isn't one! He's never done anything malicious or terrible before. The only thing he is guilty of is playing pranks and acting like a nuisance just to get other people's attention. But, that's because he is lonely. He has nobody to come home to. Nobody to love. Nothing. Sasuke-kun and I are his only friends."

Hiashi appears to be deep in thought before sighing again. "You truly have inherited your mother's kindness," he says. I ignore the minor feeling of hurt at her mentioning. "You are wise beyond your years. I understand where you are coming from Hinata-chan. I really do. But, I cannot have you hang around this boy for the sake of our clan."

You know, I really did get my hopes up for a moment. I thought I had changed his mind and he will finally put his children's needs before the clan's. However, I was wrong, yet again. Controlling the rage that is about to unleash, I try to convince him once more. "But, it will be good for the clan if I keep good ties with Naruto-kun."

"And why is that?"

I smile. "Because he is going to be Hokage one day. When the day comes, I will be one of the first people there to bow down to him."

Hiashi narrows his eyebrows. "Do not say such foolish things. That dream will never become a reality for a person like that."

"Yes it will." God, I've been in the body of a child for too long. I am even arguing like one now. Always trying to get the last word in.

"Stop thinking and speaking such nonsense!" Hiashi suddenly yells, making me jump. "You are not allowed to hang around that boy! I mean it! I already get hell from the Elders in our clan's council because a child of the Branch House is more talented than the heiress! They keep saying my brother should've been born first since Neji-san apparently deserves the title as Head of the Hyūga clan over you! Do you know how much of a fool I feel when I hear that? Now, I'm getting hell because you want to hang out with a troubled, obnoxious, and mannerless boy who has no talent at all in becoming a Shinobi!"

Wow. Here I thought I was at my breaking point this whole time. My father has just proven me wrong. I've never seen him so upset. He's always so calm and collected. Rage overwhelmed me as my vision is blinded by red. I shake myself out of my daze as I scoot forcefully out of my chair and take a few steps back. "I don't care what the Elders think!" I yell back. "Neither should you! You are the Head, not them! Act like one! However, you are my father! Act like one also!" With that, I ran out of the room, not bothering to listen for my father's response. Probably some more self pity yelling.

I burst through the courtyard and out the compound's gates. Without activating my Byakugan, I can sense that nobody is following me. I think my father is wise enough not to send anyone to retrieve me at the moment. His daughter has never acted like this before. It is best for him to let me calm down before coming back home. Still, why does he act like that? Why does he put his clan's needs over his family's? I ask myself that question all the time, but I can't just straight ask him! I mean, he totally ignored my rant of how shitty of a father he is. He will never answer that question if I ask him. I suppose I already know the answer anyways, sort of. The Hyūga's council plays a huge role in the Head's life, but why are they so influential. I guess I can compare our council to our village's council in a way.. We need to have other voices of reason in case a leader does something bad. But, my clan's council have never been reasonable. I swear, I will get to the bottom of this whole mess one day.

My body suddenly ricochets to the ground as I smack into something. I hear something fall to the ground followed by three gasps. I rub my head in pain as I felt a bruise forming. Great. A bruise and a headache. Just the cherry on top of this wonderful day. I open my eyes and see three boys, perhaps around ten or eleven years of age, staring back at me. They do not look happy. I look on the object on the ground that had fell. It is an ice cream cone. Why does this feel like déjà vu to me?

"I'm sorry," I mumble as I get up and brush myself off.

The boy with a beige bandanna wrapped around his head speaks first, "You don't sound sorry! You made me drop my ice cream cone!"

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. "I really am sorry," I tell him. "I'm just not in the best of moods right now. I can buy you another one to make it up to you."

Bandanna Boy crosses his arms. "I don't believe you!"

I shrug. "Well, believe what you want. If you don't accept my apology and offer then I do not know what else to tell you. Now, I will be on my way."

I try to go around the brat, but the other tall boy wearing a red cap with the missing front tooth grabs my arm. "You're not going anymore," Toothless tells me as he jerks me back to wear I was.

I pull away from him. "What's your problem?" I snap.

The other boy with the large eyes widens them to become even larger. "Wait, I think she's the Hyūga kid!" Wonky Eyes says.

"Yeah! She has those eyes!" Toothless chimes in. I feel like Sai with all these nicknames.

I roll my eyes. "How specific. There's a lot kids in my clan."

All three boys glare at me. "She must be Neji's cousin," Bandanna Boy suggests. "She's a smartass like he is. I bet she's cocky like him, too!"

"I bet she thinks she's better than us because of her family and talent," Wonky Eyes growls, scowling.

I sigh. "Don't you boys have anything better to do than pick on a little girl?" I ask. "I ran into you. It is my mistake. I apologized. Let's all move on with our lives."

The three boys look at each other, nod, and come closer as they surround me. Shit. "You're not calling the shots. We are!" Toothless tells me as he smirks.

Before I can respond, the boys all lung towards me and pin me to the ground. I struggle to move, but I fail after a few minutes. I remain still as Bandanna Boy lifts me over his shoulder and carries me off. After a few moments of silence, I find myself in a small section of woods right near the Academy. That's when it hits me. This is the season where original Hinata gets bullied. Except, this time they are probably actually going to hurt me since I somehow rubbed them the wrong way. How annoying.

"Oomph!" I grunt as the boy tosses me to the ground. I quickly jump up as the three boys surrounds me again in a tight circle.

"I don't believe you were truly sorry before for running into me!" Bandanna Boy announces. "We are going to teach you to not be a jerk to us and to apologize like you mean it!"

He reaches down to pull my hair when I smack his arm out of the way. I glare at him and awakened my Byakugan. "I would like to see you try," I tell them through gritted teeth.

I whirl around and slam a sidekick into his stomach that sends him flying. I turn to Wonky Eyes and quickly shove a palm into his chest followed by a strike upwards to his chin. He stumbles backwards a few times while Toothless yells a battle call and charges towards me. He throws his fist at me, but I easily dodge it and hit him in multiple spots on his arm. It is now useless. I am about to end him with a roundhouse kick when I see from behind that the other two boys were getting up and running after me. Shit. Even though my technique is better than theirs, and I can most likely outsmart them, they are stronger. There is only one of me and three of them. I can only fight so long before I grow tired.

I am about to attempt their impact when a voice distracts of all. "Cut it out!" I heard Naruto yell as he runs up to us.

I sigh in relief. "Oh, I'm so glad you're here!" I tell him.

Naruto gives me a fretful look. "Are you alright, Hinata-chan?" he asks.

I wave my hand. "I was totally holding my own before you got here," I say in a teasing manner.

"Hey! He's that kid!" Toothless Boy exclaims. "The one that is always getting into trouble! The only everyone hates!

"Oh, he's that guy, huh?" Wonky eyes replies as they all cackle together.

Naruto narrows his eyes. "I'm not just 'that guy!' My name is Uzumaki Naruto! I'm going to become Hokage one day! Remember that!"

The boys widen their eyes. "Hokage?!" they speech in mock unison before laughing at him again.

"That's crazy!"

"What a bunch of baloney!"

"That's so stupid!"

Toothless takes a step towards Naruto. "There's no way an idiot like you will ever become Hokage!" he taunts.

I gasp as he raises his fist and punches Naruto twice in the face. The force of the punch knocks Naruto to the ground. I breakaway from the gang surrounding as I make my way to him and lift him up. He gets up, wipes the blood off his mouth, and smirks. Toothless and his minions tense up as they glare at him.

"Wanna fight?!" he asks.

Naruto smirk deepens. "Better not regret it, guys!"

He holds up a single hand sign as the boys take a step back. "W-what signs is he weaving?" Bandanna Boy ask.

"Clone-"

"No way!"

"Jutsu!" Naruto hollers out.

The boys gasp as a smoke appears and I smack my forehead. Naruto's clone appears out of nowhere and is a total flop. The poor thing has large blank eyes and he wobbles around before finally falling to the ground. I shift my eyes over towards Naruto and sigh as my bullies give him an odd look. They look at each other and burst into laughter again. I rub my temple. Their cackling is making my headache stronger.

"That was terrible! Don't make us laugh!" Toothless cries as he smacks his legs.

"Aghhhh!" Naruto yells. He tackles Toothless to the ground and grabs his shirt. "I caught you off guard! How is that?! I will! I'm absolutely gonna become Hokage and prove you all wrong!"

"Stop talking and punch the boy already!" I tell him. As his friend, I will not allow for Naruto to learn Talking-no-Jutsu! That's how he gets his ass kicked sometimes.

Naruto begins punching the kid as the two others lungs towards him. Time to put my chakra controlling practice into action. I flow a surge of chakra into my feet as I leap between the two bullies and extend my palms out, striking them both in the chest. I dance around and hit them a few more times. I twirl around and give them both a sidekick that sends them flying to the trees. Taking the opportunity, I go over to each boy and strike a few main chakra points to close them. By doing this, they are able to move but cannot attack us anymore. I glance over at Naruto and notice he's having a field day from beating the shit out of Toothless. I guess the boy is truly going to earn his nickname now after Naruto is done with him.

Still, I think the kid has learned his lesson by now. I deactivate my Byakugan. "I handled the other two guys now, Naruto-kun," I inform him. "You can stop now."

Naruto leans up and scratches the back of his neck. "Sorry! I got carried away."

He grabs the boy by his shirt again and tosses him aside. I gaze over at the three boy's wrecked up bodies. "I guess you should've just believed my apology in the first place," I tell them. They all groan in pain as a response.

Naruto walks over to my side and shoots me a puzzled look. "What are you talking about?" he asks. "Why were they bothering you in the first place?"

"I accidently ran into them. I apologized afterwards, but they didn't believe me. So, they presume to drag me in the middle of the forest to teach me a lesson," I explain.

Naruto frowns. "That's a stupid reason."

I throw my hands up in the air. "Tell me about it!"

"It seems to be more of a cowardly reason to me instead of a stupid one," I hear a voice behind me say to us. Naruto and I spin around to see Neji standing their with his arms crossed and his Byakugan on high alert. "You three better be glad I wasn't here with Hinata-sama. You all would have been in terrible conditions. You all need to be thankful that she has a kind heart."

At the sight of Neji, all three boys literally jump up and hobble away as fast as possible. "Wow, I did not realize you were so scary, Neji-nii-san," I say to my cousin.

He scowls and ignores my comment. "Are you alright?" he asks.

I nod. "I feel great! Naruto-kun and I just totally showed those boys what we are made of! Never felt better!"

Neji rolls his eyes. "I can tell you're lying. You always put on a fake persona and act silly when you are attempting to cover up negative feelings."

I bite my lip as I give him a half smile. "You know me so well."

"Wouldn't make sense for him to if he's your older brother?" Naruto ask. "And, what does he mean by negative feelings? Are you upset, Hinata-chan?"

"If you want to get technical, Neji and I are biologically half-siblings yet cousins at the same time," I explain. "The reason being is because our fathers are not only brothers, but identical twins. We-"

I hear Neji sigh. "I think you lost him," he tells me as I notice Naruto giving me a duh look.

"Wait, say that again?" he asks, cocking his head to the side.

I giggle. "Nevermind," I say. "Long story short, I call him that because, even though he's my cousin, I view him as an elder brother. He treats and protects me like a young sister. He has this weird older brother complex over me and-"

"I do not!" Neji's snaps, turning slightly red.

I huff. "Stop interrupting me!" I playfully whine.

Naruto looks at the both of us. "You're not the only weird one anymore, Hinata-chan. He's weird, too!"

Neji flickers his eyes over towards Naruto. "What? Why?!" he exclaims as he pinches the bridge of his nose. "You know what? Nevermind! Nevermind."

I cough to cover up a potential laugh. "Anyways, to answer your other question, yes I am upset."

"Why are you upset?" Naruto asks, frowning.

"Basically, I got into a heated argument with my father and ran off," I explain, shrugging my shoulders nonchalantly.

"I do not know why you are acting like it is not a big deal that you disobeyed Hiashi-sama and ran off like you did," Neji scolded.

"Maybe because it isn't," I snapped back bitterly. "And, why are you here for anyways? Did my father send you our to spy on me? He's been doing that a lot lately it seems."

Neji narrows his eyes. "He sent me out here to calm you down and take you back to the compound. He told me I'm the only person that you might listen to over anyone else."

"Well, I'm not going back until I feel like it," I tell him.

"I did not expect you to," Neji replies.

I arch an eyebrow. "Excuse me?" I wasn't not expecting that response from him.

"Why I do think it was a little extreme of you to run off, I understand why you did," Neji admits, his face softening up. "I do not know what you two argued about, but I just want to let you know that I'm on your side."

I give my cousin a genuine smile as I grow all warm and fuzzy inside. "Thank you," I tell him. "I really do appreciate that."

He smiles back and is about to say something else, but Naruto loudly interrupts him. "I'm on your side, too!" He sticks his thumb out. "Believe it!"

"I would believe it if you knew what was going on," I tease.

Naruto pulls at his hair in frustration. "Ugh, I'm just so confused as to what is going on!" he complains.

I laugh as I walk over to him and give him a hug. He calms down as he hugs me back. "Just… Thank you as well, Naruto-kun. You came by my side just now and took some punches for me. I would have been in some deep trouble if you haven't arrived."

We both pull away and Naruto rubs his nose with his finger. "No problem! That's what friends are for!"

I arch an eyebrow. "How did you know I was here anyways?" I ask. "I can understand how Neji-nii-san did because of the Byakugan."

Naruto simply shrugs. "I was just wondering around the village when I saw the whole thing occur across the street," he tells me. "When I saw them jerks take you away, I knew I had to follow you."

I nod. "That makes sense."

Neji butts in. "Not meaning to be rude and disrupt the two of you, but what are you wanting to do now since you do not want to go back to the compound just yet."

I instantly grin as I already had this figured out. I look over at Naruto. "I just want to help improve Naruto's performance," I say.

Naruto give me a blank stare. "What do you mean?"

"I am just going to teach you how to not create a clone that isn't a failure." I do not like how no instructor at the Academy will help Naruto out. He's obviously struggling, but they still will not do their jobs and properly teach him. If they won't, I will.

Neji arches an eyebrow as Naruto widened his eyes. "How can you possibly do that?" Neji asks.

"Yeah, you're not an instructor or anything," Naruto adds.

"I know that," I say. "I have been doing my own studying outside of school on chakra control." Wow, it feels weird for me to admit this. "And, I believe that you are using way too much chakra when you are trying to perform the jutsu."

Naruto scratches his cheek. "Really? I swear I always use just a little bit of chakra."

I cannot wait for the day he learns how to use Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu and sees how much chakra reserves he has stored inside of him when a thousand clones surrounds him. I activated my Byakugan. "Neji-san, use your Byakugan to see if you know what I'm talking about."

"Sure," Neji replies as veins begin to bulge around his eyes.

"Okay, Naruto-kun. Create a clone," I order.

"You got it!" Naruto cheerily says as he weaves some

hand signs. I can see a large amount of chakra surging around in the center of his body as he concentrates. He's going to be a difficult person to teach when it comes to chakra control since his sucks. "Clone Jutsu!" As before, another failed clone pops out of a cloud of smoke, slowly falls to the ground, and disappears.

I nod. "As I suspected, you are using way too much chakra."

"I can see that, too," Neji says.

"Ugh! I don't understand how!" Naruto complains.

"Hey, it's nothing to worry about," I tell him. "You just have a lot of chakra running through your body. More than the average person. Since you are still a child, it is going to be hard to control all of that."

"How comes no one has ever told you that before?" Neji asks. "Surely an instructor would have picked up on that fact and teach him how to control it."

Naruto sighs. "Nobody there wants to even help me. They are barely passing me right now." He looks over at me and wraps his arm around my neck. "Hinata-chan is the one that has been tutoring me when I get stuck. Even though I don't understand most of the time, it is better than nothing!"

Neji looks surprised. "Is that true, Hinata?" Finally, he's dropping the -sama act. As he gotten older, Neji has not been the type of person to use honorifics regularly unless he's at the compound.

"Yes," I reply. "I'm a very wise person who likes to share their knowledge to other people as a gift."

Neji rolls his eyes. "Shut up."

I turn back to Naruto. "Like tutoring, how about we set up a schedule and I will help you learn how to control your chakra?"

Naruto jumps up and down. "That would be great! I want to actually impress everyone in our class for once!" Naruto has been one of the first people to actually create a clone, but not a very good one. I mean, he impressed me when he achieved that but I know that doesn't matter to him.

I nod. "Awesome! We can talk more about it in class tomorrow during lunch."

Naruto gives me a huge grin. "That sounds good to me!"

I look over at Neji. "I think I am calm enough to head back to the compound now," I tell him. Even though I do not want to go back, I know I have to sometime. It is better to face the wrath of my father sooner than later.

"Alright," he replies. "I will walk you home."

I wave towards Naruto. "Thanks again for helping me out earlier! I will see you tomorrow!"

Naruto waves back. "Bye, Hinata-chan and Neji! I hope things work out between you and your father."

I sigh. "Me, too."

We head our separate ways as Neji and I head back to the Hyūga compound. "How mad was my father when he told you to come look for me?" I ask.

Neji gives me a sympathetic look. "Very."

I cringe and nervously laugh at the same times "Great."

"If I may ask, what were you two arguing about?" he asks.

"He found out that I was hanging around Naruto-kun, when I am forbidden to, and he tried to ban me from doing so ever again," I explain.

Neji raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"

I raised mine back. "Yes, why?"

"From the way he's acting, it sounded more extreme than that," he tells me. "With you running off, I just thought it would be something terrible."

"I also found out that he doesn't trust me enough to let me go out on my own. He has been sending someone to spy on me. I haven't given him any reason to distrust me, so why should I listen to him and not hang around Naruto-kun? He's never done anything to anyone so he has no reason to order such things."

"I do not understand," Neji tells me. "Why would Hiashi-sama forbid you from hanging out with that boy. From my time with him, he seems fine to me. I heard he can be an annoying troublemaker, but he seems harmless."

I huff. "It is because it would look bad on our clan if the heiress is caught being around the likes of him. My father acts like he is some sort of King and our clan is a monarchy. I'm the princess who is kept locked away in her room so she won't come in contact with any peasants."

Neji gives me a strange look. "I do not know what you're rambling about, but I do agree he's taking things too far."

"And, there's nothing I can say to change his mind," I admit. "That's why I hope rebelling will."

Neji narrows his eyes. "I'm glad you have the freewill to do such things," he tells me bitterly.

I tense up as I give him a sharp look. "Seriously?" I snap.

Neji takes a deep breathe. "I'm sorry," he tells. "Your father just gets underneath my skin sometimes."

"Join the club," I say.

"What made you decide to start studying chakra theory?" Neji asks, trying to change the subject.

"I actually started three years ago in secret," I admit. "No one knows about it except you and Naruto-kun. I started because I was trying to get my father to become proud of me. I haven't shown him what I can do yet, but I still think he won't be impressed."

"What all can you do?" he asks, catching his interest.

"I can send small amounts of chakra to my feet to increase my speed and walk halfway up a tree before falling," I tell him with a smirk. I can tell he's a little jealous that I'm better than him at something for once.

"That's nice," he forces himself to say.

"I can teach you along with Naruto," I offer.

Neji sticks his nose up in the air. "No, thank you! I can figure it out myself." I giggle. God, he's so prideful!

When we arrive at the compound, we immediately head towards my father's office. As we pass people on our way there, they were giving me sympathetic glances as they whisper to one another. I gulp. I expect him to be angry, but is he really that angry? Does everyone know by now what happened? Were we really that loud or can someone not keep their mouth shut? I knock on the office door and slid it open without waiting for a response. He is jotting something down on paper with a serious expression plastered on his face. He averts his eyes up, nods, and looks back down to continue writing. Neji and I awkwardly walk in as I sit down in the chair while he stands beside of me. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Neji finally breaks it.

"I brought Hinata-sama back," he says.

Hiashi flicks his hand without glancing up. "Good. You're dismissed." Dang, that's a little harsh. He didn't thank him or look at him or nothing. I notice Neji glare at my father as he bites his tongue and walks away.

As soon as Neji leaves, I decide it is my turn to speak. "I'm back."

"I see that," Hiashi replies as he continues to write.

"How can you see without looking up?" I ask. Okay, I know I'm being a smartass right now.

Hiashi lifts his head up and I notice that he has his Byakugan activated. "This is how."

"... Oh." I kick myself. He can also see that I just made myself look stupid.

"You really need to stop jumping to conclusions," Hiashi says to me.

"What are you talking about?" I ask. Having a serious conversation with someone who has their Byakugan on makes everything more intense.

"You were right earlier. I have had sent someone out to watch over you while you were out," he admits. Ha! I knew it! "But, it isn't because I do not trust you." Wait, what? "I done it for your safety. I want to make sure you were not getting stalked, hurt, or into any trouble."

"Why would that happen to me?" I ask.

"Because you are a Hyūga and heiress to our clan. Hyūga children are known to get bullied at times because of their eyes and the stigma that is already placed on them because of their clan. Ever since the night of your third birthday, I have taken any extra measures to make sure my daughters are safe. That is why I am so strict and harsh on you. I like to know where you are at all times and I want your technique to be flawless so you can learn to protect yourself."

So, he's been acting this way this whole time to protect me? Is that why my mother told me to stay strong before she died? I mean, I was just ganged up on today because they assumed I acted like the stereotypical Hyūga. I did pretty well, but I could not have taken all of those guys if Naruto had not time. That is why my father pushes me all the time so, not only to become a strong leader, but to protect myself. He actually does care about his own family. Well, I feel like an asshole.

"I didn't realize you were doing all of that," I tell him, looking away.

"Well, you do now," Hiashi replies, sighing. "Though, I understand how you would think otherwise since my actions didn't match my true intentions."

"Yes, why have you been so distant towards me and Hanabi-chan?" I ask. "You can still act strict and harsh, but not hide yourself in this room all the time."

"Why I do admit that I have been in here more than usual ever since your mother's death," my father admits. "I have always spent the majority of my day in here. Being the Head is not an easy job. You've just never noticed until now because you were always around your mouth growing up and saw me in the evenings. Since your mother has passed away, you are just more lonely now."

Now that I think about it, that does make sense. "But, if you knew I was feeling alone, why continue to not show any love and affection towards me?" I ask. Heck, even a good morning and a good night once a day would have been better than nothing. "I have been showing all of that to Hanabi-chan plus taught her how to read, walk, and talk just so she will not grow up emotionless or feeling neglect since you hardly shown any positive emotions towards her." Hanabi is three years old now and looks up to me like I'm her own damn parent.

Hiashi breaks his cold mask and gives me a melancholy look. "My intentions to you two were never meant to make you feel this way," he sadly tells me. "I thought I was doing what was best for you two to grow up to be strong and independent, but I guess I was wrong. I truly am sorry, Hinata-chan."

Three years of resent towards this mess instantly washed down the drain as happiness and relief overwhelms me. He still does care for us. That's all that I needed to hear. "You are not in the wrong," I tell him. "Continue doing the things you have been doing. It is working on me. I promise. You've seen my progress. Just… act more fatherly towards us from time to time. Especially towards Hanabi-chan."

Hiashi breaks into a smile and nods. "Deal." I frown. Alright, now to deal with the Naruto situation. Hiashi drops his smile. "What's wrong?"

"I would like to still hang out with Naruto-kun," I tell him. At least it sounds like I'm asking for permission this time around so he doesn't grow angry again. "Even if you say no, what's going to happen in a few years from now when we all become Genin? I might end up on a team with him or fighting along his side one day. You say he's not talented, but we both don't know what potential he truly has. I mean, nobody at the Academy is even trying to teach him."

Hiashi slowly rubs his temples. "Hinata-chan…"

I press on. "I know you are just trying to maintain the reputation of this clan, but he's not going to ruin that. In fact, I can hang out with him in secret so the other villagers won't find out!" I mean, everyone in my class knows I'm friends with Naruto-kun and probably some of their families do as well. But, he doesn't have to know that.

Hiashi raised an eyebrow. "And, how would you do that?"

I shrug. "Train with him in the forest or something. If you've had someone watching me, then you must know about my chakra controlling training." Obviously he knows about it now so he why hide it?

Hiashi seems proud for a moment and smirks. "I was wondering when you were going to mention that."

So, I have been impressing him! "Since I have good scores and Naruto-kun doesn't, I have also been training her these past few years occasionally during lunch to improve them. By hanging out with him, I can help him unlock his potential and keep him out of trouble!" I have a prepared a pretty good case to back me up. I should be a lawyer in my next life.

I grow hopeful as Hiashi ponders in silence. That feelings grows less and less the longer he stays silent. After ten long minutes, he finally speaks. "Alright."

My heart flutters. "Alright, what?"

"I will grant you permission to hang out with the boy as long as you use time with him for training only in private areas," he declares. "I will also stop sending someone to watch over you since it seems like you are capable of handling yourself."

I ran around the desk and give him a hug. "Thank you so much, Otou-san!" I squeal.

Hiashi pulls me away and looks at me dead in the eye. "I mean it. If the council finds out that I am allowing you to hang out with that boy, that can be detrimental towards your future."

Suddenly, I feel scared. Was the whole ordeal really that serious? "W-why?" I ask. My father doesn't say anything as he pulls me into a hug again. I am beginning to realize how truly difficult it is to put your family before the clan's needs. Or should I say our council's needs. What the hell is up with them? Ugh, every time something good happens to me, two more bad things replaces the good. Why couldn't I have just been born into the Nara clan and live a laid back life?

 **Author's Note: This has been a very fun chapter for me to write! I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did! I have read everyone's ideas so far and some of them were very interesting and caught my eye. We only have more one chapter to go before Hinata becomes a Genin so yay cheers! I'm ready for missions and kicking people's asses? Oh, and what's up with the Hyūga council? They all sound like a bunch of scary Danzo's lol.**


	8. Chapter 8: Childhood Arc

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or people would have spend as much time wanting to take off Shino's sunglasses as they did Kakashi's mask.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Childhood Arc**

 **Chapter eight**

Naruto was extremely happy and excited when I told him that my father has allowed me to hang around him now. Those reactions instantly faded when I mentioned that I could only hang out with him in private and for training purposes only. I had tried to make him feel better and add that it doesn't always have to be just for training only, since my father isn't going to find out either way since he isn't spying on me anymore. But, my friendship with Naruto has to be kept secret from the other villagers, especially our council.

"I just don't understand your clan's council or your father. What's the big deal?" Naruto tells me, crossing his arms. We are standing in the forest near the Academy, where we fought those bullies the other day. "I can hang out with you, but not publicly? How stupid."

I sigh. "I am just as confused as you are. I do not know why my father has to listen to the council even though he is the Head of the clan. In my opinion, he seems to be a little afraid of them if he is wanting me to keep this from them." I usually do not tell my friends about the affairs that go on within my clan, but I figured he would like to know for future references. Plus, I trust him enough to not blab his mouth to anybody about this.

Naruto shrugs. "On the bright side, I get to see you outside of school more often now. So, I can't complain!" He flashes me an encouraging smile.

I nod. "There we go!" I say. "Alright, let's get to work!"

Today is my first day of teaching Naruto how to control his chakra. I am hoping it doesn't take too long since he is a fast learner, but his chakra is still developing since he is young so it I do not know yet how everything is going to be played out. While I am pretty sure I can explain very well what chakra is and how to control it, I highly doubt Naruto is going to understand my lecture. Instead, I have decided to sum it up as best as I can and I brought my books along to loan to him.

"Why are you giving me these books?" Naruto asks, raising an eyebrow as he stares down unenthused at my books I am holding.

I grin. "So you can read and study them."

Naruto widens his eyes in comical dispar. "What?! No way! Come on! I hate studying and you know that!"

I shrug. "Alright, I guess you really do not want to be Hokage then."

Naruto stops freaking out. "What are you talking about? Of course I do!"

I shove the books into his hands. "Then, you really need to study these books! You can't always learn just from me verbally teaching you or you physically practicing. You have to bore the knowledge into your mind and remember it."

Naruto shifts his eyes over at me as he collects the books. "Okay, okay. But, I'm not going to like it one bit."

I smile. "You don't have to study the books 24/7. Just take an hour or so out of your day and read over them. I promise they helped me out a lot. That is why I am able to do this!" I sent some chakra to my feet, went over to the nearest tree, and began running up it. I made it up halfway before I stop and did a backflip off.

Naruto drops his mouth. "Wow! That's so cool!"

I point at the tree. "As you just saw, I am not able to make it all the way up the tree. I, myself, still have to train some more before I can make it up there. However, those books taught me how to control my chakra before I took myself out onto the field to practice it." I know an instructor could probably teach Naruto how to control his chakra in person and without any books. But, I have no experience in teaching and have no reason to in detail when I am still in training. That's where the books come in.

"Gotcha! I will start reading them tonight," Naruto tells me as he stuffs them in his bag. I wonder how much money I can bet that he will never open those books. "So, what are we going to do right now?"

I took out a notepad and a pen from my backpack and toss it over to him. "You're going to take notes why I give you a brief lecture about chakra!"

Naruto doesn't catch the flying items and he watches them fall to the ground. He gives me a death glare. "I think you hate me." I just wave my hand and giggle as he picks up the supplies.

* * *

The next day, I roll into class in high spirits. Despite grumbling and complaining, Naruto surprised me yesterday and actually understood what I told him as he took notes. It puts me in a good mood that I know that Naruto's grades and performance is going to start improving so I do not have to worry about him failing the graduation exam three times in a few years from now. He can just pass it the first time! I also want to prepare him more for the Shinobi world. I want him to have more knowledge and experience when he becomes a Genin this time around. If he has his basics down pat, I am hoping Kakashi will teach him something useful like ninjutsu. While he's a badass character and I love him, he's not a very teacher. From what I remember, he only taught Naruto how to tree walk and teamwork tactics before sending him off to the Chunin Exams. That's not acceptable in my books.

I stroll up the stairs towards my desk when I catch Sakura crying out of the corner of my eyes. Why is she crying? Where's Ino? I look around the classroom and see Ino sitting up front next to a random fangirl. Ooooo, I wonder if they just broke up because of their obsession for Sasuke. They both have been growing their hair longer so it makes sense for her to cry over that. I want to ignore her, but I feel a little bad even though I really don't care for her. She has all this potential to become a great kunoichi. Instead of spending her time honing her skills now and training, she's too be looking in the mirror or at Sasuke. Gag.

I sigh and made my way over towards her. I sit down beside of her as she looks up. Her large emerald eyes are all puffy and tears are streaming down her face. This may sound weird, but she's a cute crier. She quickly wipes her eyes and narrows them. "W-what do you want?" she snaps.

I roll my eyes. "Do you have to act like that?

"Like what? What are you talking about?" Sakura asks.

A bitch. No, I just kidding. I can't say that to an eight year old. "Rude. Mean. Aggressive." I can give her a whole list of adjectives right now.

A look of hurt flashes across her face. "Am I really those things? I don't mean to be."

"Most of the time, no. But, you can be."

Sakura look down. "Sorry," she mumbles. "I'm just upset."

I raise my eyebrows to show concern. "I was wondering why you were crying. I came over here to make sure you were okay."

Sakura appears surprised at my comment. "Really? Why? We never talk."

I shrug. "I guess I'm a compassionate person," I tell her.

Sakura relaxes her face a little. "Thank you," she says. "At least you care that I'm crying when my own best friend doesn't. Or should I say ex best friend."

Yessssss, now we are getting to the juicy details. What? I'm a nosey person. Leave me alone. "Why do you say that?" I ask. "Did something happen between to you two?"

Fire sparks in Sakura's eyes as she raises her fist. "Yes! Ino-pig doesn't seem to understand that Sasuke is going to be mine one day!"

From the front, Ino turns around in her seat and points at Sakura. "Shut it, Billboard Brow!" she shouts. "Stop acting so delusional! He will never be yours! He will be mine!"

I sweat drop as I see Sasuke, from the other side of the classroom, giving me an odd look that said, "Why the hell are you getting involved with those two?" I just shrug and focus my attention on a shouting Sakura.

"Why don't you keep it down?" I suggest, interrupting her argument with Ino. "Are you two seriously fighting over Sasuke-kun?"

Sakura nods. "Yes! Her and I both figured out that the other was growing their hair out to impress Sasuke. I felt so betrayed when I found out what she was doing."

I think that's the stupidest thing I ever heard. Ending a friendship over something as petty as this? Ugh, I feel like I'm dealing with a bunch of thirteen year olds, not eight. "Don't you think she feels the same way about you though?" I ask.

Sakura crosses her arms. "Who cares what she thinks?" she replies. "I was the one that told everyone first that I liked Sasuke. She just gotten jealous and started to compete with me. It was just a little rivalry at first, but I could tell she was serious when she started growing her hair out."

I smack at forehead. "Where did you even hear that he likes girls with long hair?" I ask. "I'm the only girl he even talks to and I have short hair." Okay, I'm waiting for a bunch of people in the background now to scream, "BURN!"

Realization hits Sakura as she checks out my hair, feels her own hair, looks over at Sasuke, and then back at me. "I know you're close to him, but I've never really thought of that," she admits. "I don't remember where I heard the rumor, but I grew mine out just incase it's true!"

I lean towards her ear and cup my hand around my mouth. "Not to burst your bubble, but rumors tend to be what they are: just rumors. Most of the time, they are not true." I pull back and notice Sakura looks genuinely sad. "Hey, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I am sure you really like Sasuke. I am just telling you the truth early on before you get hurt."

She looks like she's about to cry again. "What makes you so special to Sasuke?" she asks without a hint of spite in her voice. "Why does he only talk to you, but not any other girl?"

I give her a kind smile. "Because I do not annoy him."

"You don't annoy him?"

I shrug. "That's what he told me. I treat him like an actual human being and not some prized possession. You and the other girls seem to only like him for his looks and cool personality," I tell her. "Personally, I don't know why you all are so crazy over him. I mean, he doesn't even speak to you and calls you names when he does."

Sakura's tears instantly dries up as she glares at me. "Don't talk bad about Sasuke!"

I hold up my hands in protest. "Calm down. I'm not insulting your precious Sasuke-kun. Once again, I'm just speaking the truth."

Sakura sighs. "So, I should just back off to get him to notice me?"

I nod. "That's a good a start. Sasuke seems to like people who are strong and who don't need to dependent on others and aren't annoying from his perspective. Now, I don't know how to not be annoying to him since he's never clarified his definition of the word to me. For me, I just treat him like any other person. I talk to him like I would anybody else. I train with him sometimes. I give him space when he gets in one of his moods. There is more, but those are just a few examples."

Sakura's face brightens up. "If I copy what you do, he will surely notice me for sure!"

I widen my eyes. "Whoa, not so fast. When I say back off from Sasuke, I really mean it. You have been considered an annoying fangirl in his eyes for three years now. As of now, he doesn't want a anything to do with you." Okay, that sounded more harsh than I intended on it to be.

To my surprise, Sakura doesn't seem upset by my words. In fact, she looks determined. "I think I'm beginning to understand what you are saying," she says. "I have been treating him as some sort of object. I truly do not know Sasuke. I need to get to know him and be his friend first before I ever believe he will ever like me romantically." Well, she's surprised me. Where's the crazy fangirl that was just arguing with Ino less than five minutes ago? "What do you suggest I do?"

Geez, she is taking my advice to seriously. She's a little girl. She shouldn't be worrying about boys. Then again, Shinobi, including children in training, tend to be more mature than a civilian. "Take some time for yourself and not think or talk about Sasuke," I begin. "Start improving yourself. I know you are book smart and you have a lot of common sense. But, you need to work on your taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu. Being a Shinobi isn't just how intelligent you are."

Suddenly, Sakura blushes. "I-I'm am actually interested in learning genjutsu," she admits.

Yes! I've always wanted to see Sakura become a badass genjutsu master. "Then, you should start studying and practicing that art! I heard it's really hard to learn."

Sakura shrugs. "I find it really easy."

Well, that's because you have excellent chakra control and… Wait, what? It comes easy to her? How does she know? "Are you already pursuing genjutsu?" I ask.

"Yes, but nothing impressive," she says. "I just use basic genjutsu to make myself look more pretty."

I arch an eyebrow. "Explain."

"I used to get made fun of for having a large forehead, so I use genjutsu to give the illusion that it's smaller than it really is," she explains. "Though, it is still fairly large, it isn't as big as before."

Hmmm, interesting. "Well, then you should put more time in genjutsu if you're already interested in it," I tell her. "I also encourage you to work on your taijutsu. It doesn't have to be the best, but you need to know how to defend yourself in case someone sees through your genjutsu in the future."

Sakura narrows her eyebrows in suspicion. "How do you know so much and why do you suddenly want to help me out so bad?" she questions.

Crap, for someone for wants to be keep a low profile I really do seem like I know a lot more than I should for someone my age. "Because… Because," I stutter. My eyes cast over to Ino and I smirk. "Because I want you to become better than Ino!"

Sakura eyes widen in shock. "Why?"

I cross my arms to appear annoyed. "I'm still bitter about her pointing her finger in my face two years ago."

Fire sparks in Sakura's eyes again. "Heck, yeah! That means you're on my side! I'm totally going to become a better kunoichi than Ino-pig!" See, if Sakura has enough motivation to obsess over Sasuke, she can train to become a stronger and more skilled kunoichi.

I nod. "I like hearing that," I tell her. "She isn't going to know what is coming to her when you two become official Shinobi. She's going to be so surprised!"

"You better be there with a camera to take a picture of her reaction when she figures out I am better than her and that I won over Sasuke!"

Okay, let's not take it that far. Nahh, I'm not going to say that to her. I will just let daydream for a little bit. I somehow overcame a huge obstacle and have encouraged the Sakura Haruno to actually focus more on her training then a boy. I wonder how this is all going to play out?

* * *

"What was you and Sakura talking about earlier?" Sasuke asks me as we walk through the forest. We just got done doing some weapons training and I am hanging out with him for the rest day. Right now, Sasuke is in pursuit to find Itachi and I am just tagging along.

"I was just trying to cheer her up since her and Ino had a huge fight," I explain.

"How did it go?"

I raise my eyebrows. "I am surprised that you care enough to ask."

Sasuke's eyes narrow. "I don't care."

I rolly my own eyes. "Whatever," I say. "Anyways, it went well. I convinced her to spend more time training and improving herself instead of obsessing over you."

Sasuke smirks. "Good," he tells me. "She was the worst out of any of them."

"Even worse than Ino?" I ask.

He nods. "While she is loud, I can at least tolerate her. The other one is just too clingy and is always trying to be around me."

I shrug. "I just don't understand what those girls see in you that makes them go all love struck," I tease. I seem to have hurt Sasuke's ego as he turns his head to ignore me. "Wait… do not tell me that you secretly like the attention that those girls give you?"

Sasuke's face flushes. "N-no! That's not it!"

I giggle. "Then, why are you acting all butthurt for?"

"Shut up!" Sasuke snaps as I laugh again. It's so fun and easy to get under his skin.

We emerge out of the forest and into a clearing. In the distance, I notice two men staring at each other. They appear to be having a serious conversation about something. My heart drops. And, I know what that something is. They are discussing the Uchiha affair going on right now. The two men stop talking and look over towards us as Sasuke changes out of his usual moody mask into a more cheerful one and runs towards his brother. I jog behind him to catch up.

"Nii-san! Heyyyy!" he hollers as he runs, waving towards Itachi. He stops and stands in front of Itachi as he I stand behind him. "There you are! I've been looking practically everywhere for you!"

Itachi doesn't say anything as he looks down at his younger brother and then at me. I shift uncomfortably. Whenever I am with Sasuke, and the rare chance I am actually around Itachi, he barely ever speaks to me and just gives me an expressionless yet intense stare. It is hard to explain. It is like he is trying to hide the fact that he is thinking hard about something.

"Yo!" the other man greets, holding his hand up and bringing our attention towards him.

Sasuke's eyes widen. "Shisui-san!"

Shisui puts one hand on his hip. "Sasuke, what are you doing out here?" he asks. He peeks around him and glances down at me. He wiggles his eyebrows. "And, who's your little girlfriend? She's a cute one."

I place my hand over my mouth to stifle a giggle as Sasuke's puffs up his cheeks. "She isn't my girlfriend. She's only a friend."

Shisui waves his hand. "Sasuke! It is rude to not introduce your girlfriend to us," he playfully scolds. Sasuke crosses his arms in annoyance as Shisui walks over to me and sticks his hand out. "Yo, I'm Shisui! What's your name?"

I bow towards him. "My name is Hinata Hyūga. It is nice to meet you, Shisui-san," I tell him.

Shisui raises his eyebrows. "Oh, you are the Hyūga clan's young heiress. You caught yourself a good one, Sasuke!"

"She isn't my girlfriend!" Sasuke snaps. "Plus, I don't want one anyways."

"Good, because all they will do is break your heart," Shisui tells him.

"That's rude," I say in a joking matter.

Shisui bows towards me. "I'm so sorry, Hinata-sama. Please forgive me!" Great, now I can't tell if he's mocking me or not. I think he is.

"Please, do not call me that," I tell him. "I get called that all day at home. It is really annoying to me."

Shisui smirks. "Wow, you're a feisty one! Here I though all Hyūga's walked with a stick up their ass."

I narrow my eyes to appear serious. "Why would we do that? That would hurt."

Shisui holds his stomach as he bursts into a fit of laughter. "Dang, Sasuke! Where did you find this girl? She's hilarious!"

"You're a handful yourself," I tell him. Damn, I've only met this kid for a couple of minutes and I already like him!

Shisui points at his eyes then at me. "I'm watching out for you."

I activated my Byakugan. "I think I can do a better job at watching out for you. I have eyes in the back of my head."

Shisui holds his hands up in defeat as my eyes went back to normal. "Alright, you win! I surrender!"

"Hey, what were you two talking about, anyway before we came?" Sasuke asks Shisui, interrupting our conversation. I wish I saw this version of Sasuke more often. Actually acting his age and being happy and curious. "Come on, tell me!" He looks up at Itachi. "Tell me!"

Itachi appears taken back before giving Sasuke a small smile. "You're still too young to know about that," he replies.

"Aww, what's that about?" he asks, pouting. "I'm not part of the group now…"

Itachi keeps Sasuke from speaking anymore as he extends two fingers and reaches out to poke Sasuke's forehead. "I'm sorry, Sasuke," he says. "Maybe next time."

Sasuke rubs his forehead. "You're always saying that, Nii-san."

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Shisui chuckle and plaster a huge grin on his face. "Heh… it's just not fair!" Mock disappoint feels his face as he walks over to Sasuke. "What a horrible brother to leave Sasuke out of everything like that." He rests a hand on Sasuke's shoulder and winks. "Alright, Sasuke. Why don't I tell you, then?"

Sasuke widens his eyes in excitement. "Really? You're the best, Shisui-san!"

Shisui bends down and brings Sasuke closer to him. "You see," he begins. "We were just talking about which one of us is stronger, me or your brother." He looks back at Itachi, who has a strange look on his face. "I mean, I know I'm a lot stronger than he is. But, he just won't accept the truth." Shisui sighs and looks back at Sasuke. "Tell me, Sasuke. You know the truth, don't you? That I'm a lot stronger than he is!"

Sasuke narrows his eyes. "What? No you're not!"

"Oh?" Shisui says in mock surprise. I smile. I know what he's trying to do now.

"I mean, you're strong. But, my brother is still way stronger than you!" Sasuke protests.

"Oh, really? But, I am older than he is so I only it's natural to assume that I'm…"

"Age has nothing to do with being a Shinobi!" Sasuke argues.

Shisui smirks. "Don't forget I do have the Sharingan." And, a badass one as well. In my opinion, he's stronger than Itachi right now! Though, Sasuke will kill me if I say that outloud.

"Nii-san has the Sharingan, too!" Sasuke says. "My brother won't ever lose to you, Shisui-san!" He looks up at his brother. "Isn't that right?"

Itachi appears conflicted as he gives Shisui a dirty look while he giggles. "Well…" he begins.

Sasuke and Itachi, well mostly Sasuke, go back and forth as Shisui and I watch. I can truly see that Sasuke cares for his brother and vice versa in Itachi's case. I can only imagine what's going to go through Itachi's mind when he has to break Sasuke's bond with him and massacre his entire clan. If that were me and Hanabi, I wouldn't know what to do. I can't see myself ever hurting her, only protecting her. I don't want if it's because I've lost a parent and I'm feeling the void in her life where a mother should be so she will never feel sad and lonely. I just feel like I sort of know what Itachi's going through right now and I can relate since I am an older sibling myself. Heck, Itachi and mine's younger siblings are both five years apart from us! I wish Shisui and Itachi was just able to overthrow their clan's schemes to not destroy such family bonds.

"Shisui," Itachi says to his best friend, breaking us out of our thoughts. For some reason, I believe we were just thinking similar things. "I think we are going to head back now. It's almost time for dinner and I have to prepare for tomorrow. Plus, I believe Hinata needs to be heading home now before it gets too late."

I look at the sky and notice the sun is setting. Crap! It is getting late. But, I really want to know what he is doing tomorrow? Is it really the day that he… "Oh, that's right," Shisui says. "You have a mission, don't you?" Good! It is only a mission. I'm glad he asked for me.

"I don't think it'll take too long. I should be back in a couple of days," Itachi says.

Shisui suddenly grows serious. "Do your best, Itachi," he tells him. "I will do my best on my side."

Itachi nods and turns to Sasuke. "Ready to go?" he asks.

"Yeah," Sasuke says. He turns to me. "I will see you tomorrow, Hinata!" He waves at Shisui. "Shisui, see you later!"

They both depart away from us, leaving Shisui and I alone. "I think I am going to head off now before my father gets worried," I tell him.

Shisui flicks his hand up. "Alright, see you next time! I will be watching out for you."

"Not if I see you first," I say to him, smiling. I turn and walk away. Unfortunately, I don't think I will ever see him again after this. Which, I am actually a little sad. I really like the kid. I think he would have become a great older brother figure to me if all the Uchiha crap didn't occur.

Later that night, before I went to bed, I decide to stop by Hanabi's room to pay her a visit since I haven't seen her all day. "Nee-san!" Hanabi squeals as I walk in. She runs over to give me a hug. "Will you play with me?"

I smile down at her. "Shouldn't you be in bed?" I ask. My father had sent her to bed an hour ago.

Hanabi shakes her head. "I'm not tired so I've been playing with KeKe," she tells me, pointing to my stuffed wolf that is laying on her bed.

That little sneak. "Did you take that from my room?"

Hanabi nods. "I was going to wait until you got home to ask to play with him, but you took too long so I took him anyways," she explains. She gives me an innocent grin. Awhh, she's too cute to get mad at.

"Okay, I don't mind this time," I say. "Just take good care of him. He was a gift."

Hanabi clasps her hands together. "I will! Let's go play!"

She tries to grab my hand, but I pick her up and carry her over to her bed. "We can't play tonight," I tell her, laying her down. "It is time to go to sleep. I'm tired."

"But, I'm not!" my younger sister complains. She stands up and begins jumping up and down. "Let's play! Let's play!" I tug at her legs and she falls onto her bottom. "Wheeee!"

"Hanabi-chan," I firmly say, looking into her eyes. She stops laughing as she picks up the serious tone in my voice and frowns. "I promise to play with you tomorrow if you promise to go to sleep."

"I'm not tired," she repeats as she yawns.

I smirk. "Oh, yes you are. I'm going to lay here with you until you go to sleep."

"Yay!" Hanabi says. She quickly gets underneath her covers as I climb on top of her bed. She cuddles up to me. "Nee-san gets to sleep with me!" Okay, I didn't say that. But, I will play along.

I kiss her on top of her forehead and smoothed down her long brunette hair. "Goodnight, Hanabi-chan."

"Goodnight, Nee-san!" she says. "I love you!"

I smile. "I love you, too." As she falls asleep, I end up closing my eyes for a quick second before I somehow slip into dreamland as well.

* * *

"You're getting better! You got four out of eight this time around!" I call out to Sasuke as he lands on the ground. For the past few weeks, he and I have been assisting with one another in our bukijutsu. Sasuke is training with his shurikens while I am sticking to my kunais and wire.

"Hn," Sasuke grunts, unpleased. "That isn't good enough."

I sigh. "Can we just call it a day?" I ask. "It is starting to get dark. You're mother is going to be upset if we are not home in time for dinner."

Sasuke smirks. "You're just tired."

I roll my eyes. "No, I just don't want to get fussed at." Actually, I am tired. But, I will never admit that to him. The kid can probably train another two hours if I allow it.

Sasuke picks up his backpack. "Come, on." We begin to run back to the Uchiha compound. By the time we made it, it is dark. "Crap! It's getting late."

"I told you," I say in a singsong voice. "I'm always right."

"Whatever," Sasuke replies.

Suddenly, he comes to a complete stop and looks up. "What's wrong?" I ask, stopping next to him. I glance to see what he is looking at, but I only see the full moon shining brightly behind a pole.

"I thought I sensed someone just now," he replies, furrowing his eyebrows. I give him a puzzled stare as he looks around at his surroundings and widens his eyes. "The lights are off yet it is only seven."

An eerie feeling creeps through me as I realize the compound is in complete darkness. There is no lights on or nothing. Everything is quiet and still. Like suddenly everyone just dropped... dead. Dead... dead! Shit! Is this the day… "Sasuke," I begin, but he runs off. I follow him around a corner and we both stop again.

I hear Sasuke gasp in shock as I widen my eyes. The street before us is a blood bath. Bodies that were cut to pieces are littered everywhere. Blood is pouring down from buildings and walls, staining them. Kunais and shurikens are scattered all over the place and various outdoor decor had been slashed and broken. I close my eyes. I can't describe this anymore. This is way more gruesome and gory then I remember it being. My body begins to shake in fear. Why am I scared? I shouldn't be scared.

"Wh-what is this?!" Sasuke growls. "What the hell is this?!" He clenches his fists. I remain silent. Why am I here witnessing the downfall of the Uchiha clan? This is suppose to be between Itachi and Sasuke? Why am I here? This isn't how things happened.

Sasuke makes his way over to two bodies lying side by side on the ground. "Oji-san… Oba-san…" he whispers. His body begins to quiver in fear as he stands over his dead aunt and uncle. "W-who would do this?"

I walk over to him, not knowing what to say. I knew this was going to happen and he would never forgive me if he figures that out. I shouldn't feel guilty since there was no possible way for me to forbid this from happening, but I do. He just lost his parents and his whole clan. Now, he is about to face his murderous brother who actually isn't a cold-blooded killer and just massacred his clan to save the village from a civil war. But, it is too early for Sasuke to found out about that right now since he wouldn't understand.

Sasuke's head shoots his head up. "Otou-san! Okaa-san!" he gasps, sprinting off towards his house.

In this frantic state of mind, Sasuke has forgotten all about me. I am complicating going away so they can have their moment, but I can't bring myself to do so. I feel I have to be there for him even though I know what's going to happen. I rush to keep up with him. The door to his parent's house is already open when we arrive. Sasuke peeks his head into the dark room and slowly walks in. "Otou-san? Okaa-san?" he calls out. Nobody answers. He beings to search every room in his house, but there is no sign of anybody. Suddenly, we hear a loud thump coming from the other side of the house and we take off towards that direction. When we run up to the door, Sasuke reaches out to grab the door handles, but freezes.

He begins to break out in cold sweat as he grits his teeth with wide eyes. "T-there's someone in there," he says, looking over at me. He stares back at the door and starts to hyperventilate.

I take a step towards him and grab his hand to calm him down. He snaps out of his panic attack and turns his head. "Let's go in together," I suggest.

Sasuke squeezes my hand and we both look at the closed door. Sasuke takes a deep breath as we both grabbed a handle and slowly pull it open. Once again, darkness greets us. Except, this time, a single ray of light from a window cast down like a spotlight over two fallen bodies: his mother and father. I gulp as Sasuke's stares at his parents with a blank expression, mouth agape. My heart begins to break for Sasuke as tears well up in my eyes. This is getting to hard for me to watch. I hear the floor begin to creak as a figure emerges out of the shadows and walks over to the bodies. Sasuke gasps and takes a couple of steps backwards, dragging me with him. He has a death grip on my hand now.

Sasuke seems to calm down slightly when he realizes the person standing before us is his older brother, Itachi. "Nii-san!" he cries out. "Otou-san and Okaa-san are dead!" He shakes his head in disbelief. "Why? Who the hell would do such a thing?!"

Itachi answers by flinging a shuriken towards him. It barely grazes his shoulder as it sticks to the door behind us. I watch as his shirt rips open and a trickle of blood runs down his arm. I look back at Itachi in an attempt to study his face, but it is unreadable. How can he keep of this act without any sort of slip up? He is completely stone faced. Sasuke grasps his shoulder in pain. "Nii-san?" What… what are you doing?" he questions.

"My pathetic little brother," Itachi finally says in an emotionless tone, sending chills down my spine. If I didn't already know his motives behind the killings, I would be convinced that he is a murderous and sociopathic man who is about to kill me. He closes his eyes and I gasp. Shit. Shit. Shit. I quickly shut my own eyes and am about to tell Sasuke to do the same, but I am too late. "Mangekyo Sharingan!"

I jump, but keep my eyes shut as I hear Sasuke being to yell in pure terror. He's under Itachi's Tsukuyomi now. I cover my ears to minimize the noise as tears stream down my face. He is being tortured. How can Itachi just stand and act perfectly fine while doing that to his own brother?! "Stop, Nii-san!" Sasuke shrills. "Don't make me see this!"

After a few more seconds of nothing but screaming, everything goes silent as I hear Sasuke collapse to the ground. I open my eyes and notice that Itachi's eyes were his original dark color again. I bend down to check on Sasuke and see that he is breathing heavily as drool falls out of his mouth. I just stare at him with my mouth hanging open, not knowing how to comfort him. He looks completely tortured and mentally fried. I snap my head to glare at Itachi and anger flares through me as I see the same stupid expressionless reaction rest on his face. I bite my tongue and take a few deep breaths to compose myself.

"Why?" Sasuke squeaks, struggling to get up. "Why would you do this?"

"So I can measure my power," Itachi replies.

"To measure your power" Sasuke repeats in disbelief. "Is that all? Is that really your reason to just kill everybody?"

Itachi stares dead into his younger brother's eyes. "That is what is important."

Sasuke suddenly springs up and runs over to his brother in a fit of rage. "You have be kidding me!" he shouts, rearing his fist back.

Itachi lightly punches Sasuke in the stomach. Sasuke wraps his arms around his stomach and falls to the ground once more. I stand there, unsure of what to do. I'm not even suppose to be here dammit! Sasuke coughs and looks up in defeat at his brother, tears forming in his eyes and spilling over. I hear him begin to sob as his body starts quivering in fear. I feel my own tears begin to fall down my cheeks again. This is horrible. Sasuke and I both freeze up at the same time as Itachi takes a step forward towards Sasuke. Instantly, Sasuke hops up and starts screaming in fear of being killed as he runs of of the room. He is truly afraid now.

Itachi and I meet eyes. He's probably expecting me to run also.

"I… I," I stutter, not sure why I am even speaking.

"I advise to follow my brother and run," Itachi warns me, but I continue to stand there.

"H-how can you just stand there and act like none of this affects you?" I find myself asking before covering my mouth. That just totally slipped out. Good job.

My question seem to have got to Itachi as his emotionless mask breaks for a second, appearing unsettled. He is quickly turns stone faced again except he narrows his eyebrows this time. I take that as my cue to get the hell out of here before I am placed under his Tsukuyomi. I spin around and zoom out of that room, not daring to look back. I can hear Sasuke up ahead, not to far, still screaming and crying. I see he has stopped up ahead as Itachi appears in front of me. I stop and stand protectively beside of Sasuke. I just really want to get out of here now.

"I don't believe it!" Sasuke says. "This is too unlike you, Nii-san. I mean…"

In a flash, Itachi is standing in front me, sword raised. I widen my eyes in terror. Is he going to kill me to now? I know I wasn't suppose to be here! Sasuke was always meant to be the last one standing and as the only witness. He plunges the sword through my stomach as I cough, spattering blood in his face. Before I can experience any pain, he pulls the sword out, spins it upside down, and gives me a blow to the side of my head with the hilt. The last thing I hear before darkness overwhelms me is Sasuke screaming my name.

* * *

I open my eyes and blink a few times as light rushes to greet me, irritating the headache I am currently experiencing. I am staring at a white ceiling with square tiles. Where am I? I shoot up and wince in pain that is coming from my stomach. I lift my shirt up to reveal a white bandage covering the exact spot where Itachi stabbed me. I glance around at my surroundings and notice I am a hospital room and the light is coming from the three large windows to my right. To my left is an unmade bed. I assume Sasuke has snuck out of the hospital and went back to his compound to make sure whether last night was just all a huge nightmare or not. I don't blame him for leaving. The only injury he received was the minor scratch from Itachi's shuriken. Itachi… I grasp my bedsheets. Why didn't he kill me? Why did he even attack me in the first place? To provoke Sasuke some more? That is the only sense I can make out of it.

I snap out of my thoughts as my hospital door opens and a medical-nin walks in. "Oh! You're finally up!" she says as she rushes over to me. She begins to check out the machines around me and jots something down on a clipboard. "It looks like you are recovering just fine!"

I look away. "How long have I been knocked out?" I ask.

The nin raises her eyebrows. "For over twenty four hours," she admits. "You would have woken up earlier, but we put you under an induced coma to heal that nasty blow to your head."

"I need to leave and be with Sasuke-kun," I tell her. Does he want to be comforted? Does he need someone to yell and beat up on? Does he need someone to just cry to? I will do any of that for him. Does he even want anybody at the moment?

"I'm sorry, but you are to stay here for a few more days until you are fully recovered," the nin says firmly. "While you were not struck in any vital points, you still endured a serious attack to your stomach. You need to rest and be watched over."

I sigh. "Okay," I mumble. I know she's right and she isn't going to change her mind so it isn't even worth arguing. "Does my father know that I am here?"

The woman nods. "Yes. He is down in the waiting room. I will go grab him for you."

I didn't respond back as she leaves the room. I feel so emotionally drained right now. I just want to hide in my bedroom and not be around anybody except Sasuke. The gruesome scene I witnessed yesterday will always burn in my mind forever and now I can truly understand why Sasuke became obsessed with power and being an avenger. If someone killed my family and clan, I would go crazy as well. I also understand how great of a Shinobi Itachi is. He does so well at manipulating and masking his true emotions and has a strong enough will to carry out such a terrible act just to protect Konoha. He would be a model Shinobi for Konoha children to look up to if he was still labeled a good guy around here. I wonder how Sasuke is going to act now after this? I had planned that when Naruto, and then I, became friends Sasuke that he will put being an avenger at the top of his list. I just hope that he allows us in, when he's ready, and let's up help him and guide him to continue on the path of good. We need to be walking beside of him so he doesn't even think about straying away. I am praying that we haven't lost him just yet.

The door opens again as Hiashi and the same woman walks in. I guess someone back at home is watching over Hanabi. I am kind of glad though. I don't want her to see me in this condition. "I will leave you two alone," the medical-nin says as she leaves, closing the door behind her.

Hiashi pulls up a chair from a corner and sits down beside my bed. He looks at me up and down and his face twists into many different emotions. "What happened?" he asks, calmly. I know he is trying to keep his cool for me right now.

I lower my eyes. "I don't want to talk about it right now."

Hiashi sighs. "That is understandable," he tells me. He reaches out and rests his hand on my shoulder for to express his concern, knowing that a hug would hurt me. "I was afraid something terrible happened to you. I am just glad you are safe and sound." He looks at me dead in the eyes. "From now on, I am going to be spending more time with you girls. I have not been acting like the father I should for you two and I am sorry for that."

You know, it is pretty bad when it almost takes me dying to come to that conclusion. Whatever, I'll take it. I give him a genuine smile. "I would like that very much."

My father nods. "Good," he says.

I spent the next three days in the hospital before I was officially released. My head isn't hurting anymore, but my stomach still hurts if I move too much. When I returned home, my sister had hugged me and told me how much she missed me, even though she doesn't have a club what's going on. Neji had also, surprisingly, hugged me and vowed that he will never let anything like this happen to me again and is going to be by my side from now on. While I love his company, he is not going to be another Kō . Everyone had insisted on helping me out and serve me hand and foot, but I politely denied their offers and kept myself hauled up in my room to rest. I am deemed bedridden until I return back to school on Monday, so I am going to use that excuse so everyone can leave me alone.

Now, it is Saturday and I am beginning to grow restless. I am bored of staying in my room and with only having my father, Hanabi, and Neji as company. Hizashi and Kō were nice enough to check up on me a couple of times, but they don't count. I need interaction with other people such as Naruto and Sasuke. Especially Sasuke. I am worried about him. Is he back at the Academy yet? How is he coping? I don't get to see him for another two days, but I want these questions that are filling up my mind answered now. I get out of bed, change out of my pajamas, made myself look presentable, and head out to find my father. I didn't have to go far. I find him in Hanabi's bedroom, reading a book to her. I smile. I'm glad he's sticking to his promise.

He senses my presence and looks up from the book. "Is everything okay, Hinata-chan?" he asks. "Do you need something?"

"I am getting a little antsy from being cooped up in my room," I tell him. "May I go out for a walk to get some fresh air?'

Hiashi nods. "Certainly," he replies. "Be back in an hour. I do not want you to risk hurting your stomach in someway."

I bow. "I won't. Thank you!" I say before leaving the room.

I walk as fast as I can to the front gates. When I walk through them, I activate my Byakugan and breakout into a sprint. Since I have to be back in an hour, I need to find Sasuke as fast as I can. I can't waste a lot of time so I head towards the Uchiha compound. I make it there in fifteen minutes and run through the gates. To my surprise, the place is cleaned up. It is like a massacre has never happened and everyone is just chilling inside right now. I ignore the eerie feeling I am beginning to feel as I continue to run. After a few minutes of searching, I finally find him sitting on the small pier near the lake where he always practices his Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu. I deactivate my Byakugan and make my way down the hill towards him. I walk up next to him and sit down. He doesn't even look at me and stares down at the water.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun," I greet, giving him a slight wave with my hand.

He finally glances over at me and just nods. "I'm fine if you are wondering how I'm doing."

Even though I know that he isn't doing fine, I can take a hint. He doesn't need anyone to show him pity. "I don't want to come across as annoying and over bare you, but I just want to let you know that Naruto-kun and I will always be here for you," I tell him.

"Hn," Sasuke grunts as he looks back at the water.

I sigh. "Do you want me to leave you alone?" I ask. "I was just wanting to see you since-"

"How's your wounds?" Sasuke interrupts.

I blink in surprise. "Um, they are getting better. My head doesn't hurt anymore, but my stomach still does a little."

Sasuke frowns. "You shouldn't have been there that night." I just stare at him, not knowing how to respond to that. "You wouldn't have gotten hurt if I didn't invite you over."

I frown as well. "Don't say things like that," I tell him.

Sasuke whips his face towards me and glares. "You wouldn't have gotten hurt if I haven't been so damn scared the time!" he shouts. "I could've protected you, but I froze up! I was pathetic and powerless and I hate it! I hate him for everything that he's done and for making me feel this way!"

I raise my eyebrows in concern as I see his whole body is shaking now in anger. Before I can stop myself, I reach and I give him a hug. He instantly stops shaking, probably surprised at my sudden embrace, and slowly wraps his arms around me. He buries his head into my shoulder and releases all the emotions he has been holding back the past week. He will never admit it, but all he needs right now is someone to comfort him. He's still an eight year old little boy who just lost his parents, his brother, and his whole clan no matter how tough he acts or whether he's a future Shinobi in training. After this, I get to go home to a father, a younger sister, and a cousin who all love me very much. He gets to go home to an empty, small apartment. Naruto and I are all he has left now and, if he allows it, can help repair him emotionally and mentally as we go on over the years. We may never change his mind on getting his revenge on Itachi, but we can at least be there for him and make sure his mind never slips to a dark place. I smooth down his hair and give him a squeeze as I watch the lake glisten in front of me from the dancing rays of the sun above.

 **Author's Note: This is my longest chapter yet! I felt like I just wrote a season finale or something. This chapter, in my eyes, had a lot of things going on in it. Will Sakura and Hinata become friends? Will Naruto ever stop being a flop? Will Sasuke stay the same and go down a dark path? Okay, I really need to stop with all of these dramatic questions. This isn't a television show. I am just excited that Hinata's adventure as a Genin will finally begin next chapter and that is when the good stuff starts! Well, in my opinion. I am posting this a day early because I was off of work and I was really excited to type this chapter, so I did it all in one day lol. I hope you all enjoyed it!**


	9. Chapter 9: Rookie Life Arc

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or I would have given Tenten a last name.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Rookie Life Arc**

 **Chapter nine**

I open my eyes and stare at the ceiling as a grin spreads across my face. Today is the day that I take the Graduation Exams and finally become a Genin! Well, not an official Genin since I have to take the Genin Exams with my new team tomorrow. But, you get what I am saying. I have been waiting for this day ever since I enrolled into the Academy. No more days of sitting on my ass for seven hours and listen to Iruka lecture or going over exercises that I am already skilled in. I get to actually show off my skills now and serve Konohagakure as I contribute to the society by going on missions. When I mean missions, I am doing chores around the village for the first few months of my Shinobi career. Strange as it may seem, I am actually looking forward to doing that. As long as it has the word mission in the sentence, I really do not care what I am doing.

I jump out of bed and quickly get ready for the day. I put on my everyday wear consisting of a short sleeved grey v-neck top with black shorts, black thigh-high stockings, and black Shinobi sandals. Since the Gentle Fist requires lots of movement, and because of my flexibility, I feel it is better to wear clothes that does not restrain me compared to what Hinata usually wore at this age. Unlike her, I am not self conscious of my developing body and I do realize that my breasts are slightly larger than the average twelve year old. Which, to be honest, is fine by me because this set is already bigger than my last two in my past life at twenty one years old. I know. It's a tragedy. Anyways, I chose this outfit to fit my fighting style. While it is pretty plain, I do not mind. A Shinobi is about being sneaky and blending in with their surroundings, not to stand out *cough Ino* *cough Naruto*. I also decided to keep my hair the same as Hinata's so it doesn't get in my way.

I walk out of my bedroom and meet up with my father and Hanabi in the kitchen, where they are already eating breakfast. I slid into my seat and begin eating the food in front of me. "I'm sorry I am late," I say to my father. "I was just getting myself mentally prepared for the exams later." Actually, I slept in an extra thirty minutes.

Hiashi nods. "That is fine. Today is a big day for you and you do not need to go in with a cluttered mind."

"I know you are going to pass Nee-san," Hanabi says. "So, you should not be worrying at all."

I smile my at younger sister. She has changed a lot in the past four years. Her dark hair is halfway down her back and she grows to look more like our father everyday. At just seven years old, she is already better than I ever was. She easily picks up the Gentle Fist style and doesn't have any problems with it while my body always struggled. She is very intelligent and mature for her age as she is following into Neji's footsteps and is currently at the top of her class without much effort. In fact, she's so talented that she is already a fourth year student when she should be only a second year. At this rate, she might even graduate early! I could have graduated early myself, but we all know that I want to continue my Shinobi life with the Rookie Nine.

"Thank you," I tell her. "I am pretty sure I will pass, but you never know. I do not want to get too cocky." A downside to my sister's personality is that she has picked up on our clan's trait of thinking our abilities surpasses everyone's and can get a little arrogant at times. I am trying to correct her behavior, but I have not been succeeding.

Hanabi shrugs. "There is nothing wrong with acting that way as long as you can back it up."

"Being confident and cocky are two different things," I explain to her. "There is nothing wrong with being confident while acting cocky can get you into a lot of trouble. The key is to act humble."

"Your sister is correct to an extend," my father adds. "Though, I ,myself, believe that there is nothing wrong with taking pride to oneself if they know that their skills are noteworthy."

I resist the urge to sigh. By him saying stuff like that totally overrules my teachings. Even though I have been around her more often, she seems to take my father's word over mine. Which is understandable since he is the parent. Hiashi has been trying to instill more "pride" into me so I can become a strong leader one day. He always mentions to me that there is nothing wrong with being humble and kind. However, I need to act more vain and assertive so I do not become a pushover when I am Head, which I will not allow to happen in the first place. I believe I can still act kind and compassionate yet strong-willed and confident. There is no need for me to act like a dickhead.

Not wanting to get into a debate, I just nod my head in agreement. "I see your point of view," I tell him to hint that I'm staying neutral on this.

Looking slightly disappointed at not having the chance to lecture me about what's the correct way to act for my clan, my father changes the subject. "Is there anything you would like to do this evening to celebrate your promotion?"

At least he has faith me to pass. I shake my head. "I was actually planning on going out to dinner with my friends to celebrate," I reply.

Hiashi nods. "Very well. Just be back by ten."

I widen my eyes at my extended curfew. He usually wants me home by dinner time ever since the Uchiha mass fare incident for safety measures.I guess this is some of the perks of getting older and I'm glad he realizes that. There will be sometimes when my missions will last overnight outside of the village so it is about time to loosen my reins. "Thank you!" I say, a little too loudly.

My cheerfulness manages to break a small smile from my father. "You are welcome."

After going through my normal morning shenanigans, I leave the compound and head off towards the Academy. When I arrive, I head towards the back of the class and take my usual seat beside Naruto at the end. I allow Naruto to sit in the middle because he likes to be the center of attention and I give Sasuke the other seat so he can do what he does best, state out a window. Those two have changed as well. Well, Naruto a little and Sasuke a lot. Naruto still acts like his goofy and happy-go-lucky self, but he is smarter and has gotten a whole lot better on his technique. While he isn't a genius, he knows his Shinobi terminology and history. He has been making okay grades, since he hates homework and studying, but he kicks asses when he performs the basic Academy level jutsus now because of my chakra control lessons. He has impressed Iruka-sensei with his rapid growth and improvement, but still isn't too impressed with Naruto's Sexy Jutsu when we have to perform Transformation Jutsus. I don't know why everyone rags on him for his Sexy Jutsu. I think it's pretty damn funny and can be a great jutsu to use as a distraction during a battle.

Sasuke, thankfully, has changed for the better. While he still trains to become stronger to ultimately avenge his clan one day, Naruto and I have driven him away from a dark path. Actually, for the first couple of years, he became cold towards us and everybody else and wanted to be alone most of the time. He didn't seem to have an interest in anything other than seeking revenge. Over time, Naruto and I have proven with our actions and words that he is not alone and that we will always be there for him. We gave him the impression to consider us as his second family, if he wants to, but to never replace his original family at heart. Slowly, but surely, Sasuke opened up to us again and began to act like his old self. While he still gets in his moods and has his episodes of wanting to do nothing but train and be alone, he never pushes us away, is more talkative, and has taken on more interests other than thinking about Itachi. He seems to enjoy cooking and is really good at it. He sometimes invites over for dinner and his meals are superb and always includes tomatoes in some way or form. He also likes to take long walks around the village and Naruto or I, or both, will tag along at times. Heck, the kid even has been talking to Sakura every now and then! They aren't super close or anything like that, but at least they are on speaking terms now.

Speaking of Sakura, she has changed a little also. She still acts the same except she doesn't fangirl at the sight of Sasuke anymore. I think she leaves that shit for Inner Sakura to rant about. Sakura has stayed the top kunoichi in the class, second to Sasuke, and has been keeping up with her training. I have never actually see her train, but we talk from time from time and she will tell me briefly about her progress. Her and I aren't best friends or anything, but we are friends. Her and Ino still have some sort of rivalry going on, but I don't know for what. Probably still competing secretly for Sasuke's love and attention or who can do the best in class. To be honest, Sakura got to become top kunoichi on her own. I actually decided to end up trying in class. While I performed better than her in taijutsu and ninjutsu, she is better than me at genjutsu, kunoichi classes, and basically everything else. I would say I rank number three or four in class rankings. Not too shabby though my father isn't going to be too thrilled to hear that a female civilian outdid a clan's heiress. Oh, well.

I wave at Naruto and Sasuke as they wave back. "I am so ready to graduate from the Academy!" I tell them.

Naruto matches my excitement by throwing his hands in the air. "Me, too!" he says. "I can't wait to become a real Shinobi and go on all sorts of cool missions and learn all sorts of new jutsus!"

"There's more to being a Shinobi than just those things," I remind him.

"Let the dobe dream," Sasuke says to me. "We don't know if he's even going to pass."

Naruto turns and points at Sasuke. "I am going to pass, teme! I have been working really hard this whole time!"

Sasuke smirks. "You have one of the lowest grades in the class."

Naruto frowns. "Awhh, that doesn't mean anything! You watch! I will do even better than you!"

"Hn," Sasuke grunts. "As if."

"You wanna bet?" Naruto asks. "I bet I will do so well that they will finally come to their senses and make me Rookie of the Year over you!"

I sweatdrop. "Naruto-kun, you really shouldn't be making such bets if you're going to lose at them."

Sasuke snorts as Naruto gives me a puppy dog look. "Hinata-chan!" he whines. "You're suppose to be taking my side!"

Sasuke shrugs. "Hey, somebody has to tell you the truth."

Naruto suddenly jumps on top of our desk and bends down to get our eye level with Sasuke. "You take that back, teme!"

Sasuke narrows his eyes. "Make me, baka."

I cover my eyes with my hands as the two idiots glare at each other. Sasuke knows better than to tease Naruto like that to get him riled up. He is just doing it out of meanness. "Naruto! Stop staring at Sasuke-kun like that!" I hear Ino yell. I remove my hands from my face and see Ino and her band of fangirls surrounding my desk. Great.

"Naruto-kun!" I hiss. "Get down! You are causing a scene!"

"But, he started it!" Naruto protests. I roll my eyes and just sign in response. I know nothing I say now will break up their little feud. I can literally see the electricity zapping in between their intense glares.

"What's going on?" I hear the boy sitting in front of Naruto ask.

As he turns around, his elbow hits Naruto's bottom, and Naruto falls towards Sasuke. I cover my mouth to prevent myself from laughing as Naruto plants his lips right onto Sasuke's. Everybody in the room grew silent in shock as the two boys widen their eyes in surprise. I swear I can almost hear Inner Sakura in the corner cursing up a storm right about now. Sasuke and Naruto quickly pull away from one another as they begin to gag and wipe off their lips. All of the fangirls begin to give Naruto scary looks as Ino cracks her knuckles. Damn. It was an accident. Is violence really necessary right now? How dramatic.

I look over at the sea of preteen girls and shrug. "I guess you can get over your precious Sasuke-kun now," I tell them. "It appears that he's gay and has the hots for Naruto-kun."

"Noooo!" I hear a few fangirls cry.

Sasuke throws me an annoyed look. "Hell no I'm not!" he yells.

"Yayyy!" the fan girls cheer.

"Wait, what just happened?" Naruto asks, cocking his head to the side.

"I just saved you from a beating now get down!" I tell him as I yank him off the desk and he crashes to the floor.

"Owwww, did you have to do that?"

I nod. "Yes." I look over at Ino and the fangirls and flick my hand. "Shoo! Shoo! There's nothing more to see."

Ino places her hands on her hips. "You just want Sasuke-kun for yourself!" she growls.

I give her an innocent look. "I can't do that even if I want to," I say. "I just told you he's gay."

Sasuke covers my mouth with his hand. "Shut up! Why do you keep saying that?!"

Thankfully, the classroom door suddenly opens as Iruka and Mizuki walks in. Everyone hurries back to their original seats as they make their way over to the front desk and set two stacks of papers down. "Sorry we are a little late," Iruka says to us. "We were getting last minute stuff prepared for the exams." All the excitement and chitter chatter evaporated away as a more nervous and serious atmosphere came to life. "Part one of the Graduation Exams are about to start so listen carefully. This part will be a written exam while the second part will be a practical exam. During the first part of the exam, you will all have an hour to complete it and will take it in this room. When everyone is finished, we will begin part two. The practical exam is going to be evaluated on an individual basis so you will all sit in this room while your names get called out one by one. When you complete the second part of the exam, we will inform you if you have passed or failed. If you pass, you will be giving a hitai-ate. After that, you are free to go for the day and will return tomorrow to learn your new teams. Does anyone have any questions?"

Nobody says anything except for Naruto. "What?! I didn't know there would be a written exam!" he complains, grabbing the top of his head in panic.

"As long as you studied Naruto, you should do fine," Iruka tells him, raising his eyebrows.

Naruto sinks down in his chair. "But, I didn't," he mumbles.

"You'll do fine," I whisper to him. "They probably care more about the practical exam anyways." Well, I do not know if that is true, but he doesn't need to be freaking out before he takes the Graduation Exam.

My false hope seems to have lifted his spirits a little. "I hope so," Naruto replies.

The next hour went by fast. The exam was forty questions and most were hand picked from the reviews that we have been going over the past two weeks. Personally, I found the written exam pretty easy and I finished it in twenty minutes. Naruto was the very last person to complete the exam and finished with three minutes to spare. Though, I think he rushed the last ten or so questions just to beat the time limit. I hope he at least makes a barely passable grade. As they said in college in my past life "D's get degrees".

After Iruka and Mizuki collects our exams, they stand in front of the classroom. "Okay, it is time for the practical exam," Mizuki announces. "We are going to call you in alphabetical order starting with Aburame Shino. Please follow me and Iruka to the room across the hall."

Everyone watches as the always silent Shino gets up from his seat and leaves the room with the two instructors. As soon as the door closes behind them, the classroom goes crazy. "I totally passed that exam!" "I totally failed that exam!" "What does practical mean?" "Should I be going over my jutsus while we wait?" I just want to cover my ears and protect myself from all these idiotic comments. There's no wonder only the children from major clans, including Sakura and Naruto, became official Genin. We are not dumbasses! I mean, who the hell doesn't know what practical means at twelve years old? A dumbass!

Naruto and I decide to talk to one another until our names get called. Sasuke decides to stare out the window since he's mad at Naruto for kissing him and at me for my comments earlier. Suddenly, Iruka pops his head into the classroom and says my name. Finally! Naruto wishes me good luck and I get a nod from Sasuke before leaving the room. We walk across the hall and into an empty classroom. Iruka closes the door behind me as he makes his way to sit next to Mizuki. It looks like I am being evaluated by the two of them, Ruki-sensei, and two other instructors that I have never seen before.

Iruka gives me a warm smile. "How are you, Hinata?" he asks.

"Pretty good," I reply.

"Great," he says. "This is how the second part of the exam is going to go. We are going to call out different jutsus for you to perform for us. At the end, you are to demonstrate one technique of your choice. Do you understand?"

I nod. "Yes, sir."

"Awesome! Let's begin," Iruka says. "First, I would like for you to transform into each instructor that is sitting in this room." I make the appropriate hand signs for the Transformation Jutsu and transformed myself into every single person in the room. When I return back to my normal self, my audience shows no reaction as they scribble something down on their charts.

"Please perform the Substitution Jutsu," Mizuki orders as he points towards a lone wooden log on the other side of the room. Once again, I make the correct signs and I find myself on the other side of the room where the log used to be. This is my favorite Academy level jutsu. "Okay, now switch back to your original position."

After doing what he said, they all write some more notes down before Ruki-sensei speaks. "Create at least one clone for us using the Clone Jutsu." I nod and decide to meet their expectations by creating three clones. This time, I get impressed murmurs as a reaction.

"Finally," Iruka says. "Please perform a technique of your choice and then we will quickly grade you and give you your results."

I ponder for a moment. I have one jutsu up my sleeve I can show them, but I can also show them some taijutsu since that is my specialty. Or, I can show them how skilled I am with a kunai and some wire. I decide to just stick with my taijutsu. "Can I have a sparring partner?" I ask. "Preferably a clone of some sort?"

Iruka nods and creates a single Clone of himself. The clone walks over to me and stands and I prepare to get into my stance. I bring my left leg in front of me, leaving my right on behind, and I slightly tilt my feet at a 20 degree angle. I extend one palm out in front of me as I rest the palm by myself. I activated my Byakugan as I begin to concentrate chakra into my hands. After a few seconds, a blue layer of chakra covers both of my hands in the form of a small, sharp blade. My hands are now chakra scalpels. I lock my eyes on my opponent.

" _Eight Trigrams: Thirty-Two Palms_!" I rush towards Iruka's clone and begin attacking him in various chakra pathways. "Two palms! Four palms!" I allow my body to flow around him as I continue. "Eight palms! Sixteen Palms!" I twirl my feet around as I dance over in front of him to finish him off. "Thirty-two palms!" I sent a barrage of attacks to his chest, each strike creating a minor cut as a parting gift.

I just backwards and get into a defensive stance as I watch Iruka's Clone stumble backwards and disappear into a smoke cloud. I sigh as I deactivated my Byakugan and command the chakra away from my hands. I look over at the instructors and I feel pretty proud of myself as they all give me a mixture of surprised and impressed expressions on their face.

"To be honest, I am surprised you are able to create chakra scalpels so easily," Iruka says to me. "A Shinobi needs to have superb chakra control in order to do that and it looks like you have it." Well, I started my chakra controlling training at five years of age, but none of them have to know that.

"Chakra scalpels are usually used for healing back medical-nins in their patients," Ruki-sensei explains. "It is rarely used offensively because the wielder must require great precisive skills in order for it to be effective. You have the Byakugan to help you out so good job from my perspective."

"Blocking the chakra pathways while inflicting external wounds on your opponent is a genius tactic," Mizuki compliments. Thank you. It was Neji's idea.

After giving me the positive feedback, they begin collaborate with each other for a few minutes. I do not mind the wait. I already know the results. Iruka looks up at me, pulls out a forehead protector, and smiles. "Congratulations! Hyūga Hinata! You have passed! I hereby announce you a Genin of Konohagakure!"

I bow and retrieve the forehead protector from his hand. I tie it proudly around my neck. "Thank you!" I told them. I leave the room and walk into the hallways, closing the door behind me. As soon as I do, I break into a happy dance. I start to twirl around. "I did it! I did it!"

Smack! I bump hard into something. I rub my face as I look up and see Mizuki looking down at me with his hands on his hips, appearing confused. "What are you doing?" he asks.

Shit! Go away! I'm having a moment! Shouldn't you be wallowing around in self-pity up Orochimaru's ass right now? I don't say anything as I take off down the hallway and make my way outside. Ugh, Mizuki always ruins everything! Ruining my happy dance. Almost ruining Naruto's life. Good thing that Naruto is, hopefully, going to pass the Graduation Exams. Mizuki will have no reason to try to trick him this time around! Except a downside to this is that Naruto won't be able to learn Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu from the Scroll of Seals. That is where I come in! Over the past four years, I have taught myself the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Naruto spammed it so much in the anime/manga that I learnt it from memory. I taught myself so I can specifically teach Naruto the technique when he graduated since he isn't going to be involved with the Mizuki ordeal. Even though I can only create two Shadow Clones at the moment, I know that Naruto is going to pick up on this jutsu quick because of his chakra control and reserves.

I decide to sit on the swing in front of the Academy until Naruto and Sasuke finish their exams. After another hour of waiting, I see Naruto walk out of the building. As he approaches me, my heart sinks as I notice the depressed look on his face and the fact he's still wearing his goggles on top of his head. I stand up and rush over to him.

Naruto gives me a weak smile. "I see that you passed the Graduation Exams," he says. "Congrats!"

I frown. "Did you pass?" I ask.

Naruto drops his smile and looks down. I'm about to comfort him when he pulls a forehead protector from his pocket. "Hell yeah I did!" he hollers! "I told you I would! I'm one step closer to becoming Hokage now!"

I widen my eyes and sigh in relief. "Oh, thank goodness! You scared me!" I told him.

Naruto gives me a mischievous grin. "Sorry! I just wanted to trick ya!"

I playfully smack his shoulder. "You and your pranks!" I say as I watch Naruto take his goggles off and replace them with the forehead protector. "That looks way better on you."

"Right?" Naruto says as he grazes his hand across the metal part. "This is so cool. I can't believe I'm an official Shinobi now!"

"I'm proud of you!" I tell him, smoothing down his hair.

Naruto looks sheepishly at me. "Thank you, Hinata-chan!"

"As a gift for you passing the Graduation Exam, I have-" I am rudely interrupted as Mizuki suddenly appears beside of us. Creep. I didn't even sense him coming.

"Sorry to intrude on your conversation," he begins. "But, I just wanted to congratulate the both of you once again. Especially you, Naruto. You scored the best out of anybody!"

I raise my eyebrow in suspicion as Naruto raised his in surprise. "Wow! Really?" he cheerfully ask.

Mizuki smiles and nods. "You sure did! In fact, the other instructors were so impressed about how much you have improved that we are going to do a little special something for you."

Naruto begins to bounce on his toes like a little kid in anticipation. "What? What is it?"

Mizuki wraps his arm around Naruto's shoulder. "Why don't we chat over here?" he says. "It is more of a private matter." He looks back at me and winks. "Is it okay if I steal him for a moment?"

No. "Yes," I say, giving the creep a fake smile as they walk off. I clench my fists as I begin to fume. He's still going to try and rope Naruto into stealing the scroll! But, how? What can he possibly say to Naruto to trick him? He's passed? Ugh, where's Sasuke? He would know something is up and help me out. I can't handle Mizuki alone.

After a few minutes, Naruto marches back over to me with a wide grin spread across his face. "This is so exciting!"

"What is?" I demand. "What did he talk to you about?" Sheesh, calm down, Hinata.

Naruto doesn't seem to notice my sudden change in behavior. "Mizuki-sensei told me that I couldn't disclose the information to anyone," Naruto explains. "But, I will be able to tell you tomorrow!"

I want to pull my hair out. This is so frustrating! What did he say to Naruto? Why would he even want to approach Naruto now? How did he change plans so quickly? From the day I was born, I have known every major event that is going to happen and I have always expected them at the correct time. This is the first time that I am totally in the dark, blindsided, and it is driving me crazy. "Can you give me a hint?" I ask.

Naruto shakes his head. "I really wish I could, but I can't," he replies.

If he isn't going to tell me, then I will just extract information from him in other ways. I drop my nosey behavior and smile. "Okay! I will stop bothering you about it," I tell him. "So, do you and Sasuke-kun and want to do anything this evening to celebrate our passing? It is a big deal so I figure we should."

Naruto narrows his eyebrows and looks around. "Speaking of teme, where is he? I haven't seen him."

"I don't know," I tell him, trying to keep my patience. This is not the time to get distracted. "He is probably brooding somewhere. We will find him later. Are you up for my idea?"

Naruto gives me an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, but I can't tonight," he says. "I'm going to be busy."

My ears perk up. Naruto is never busy and is always willing to hang out with his friends. That means Mizuki's "special something" is going to happen later today. Plus, I said this evening and not tonight so that gives me some time frame. "What are you doing?" I ask.

Naruto gives me a nervous glance. "Um, I can't tell you."

"Why not?" I question.

"Because-" he quickly covers his mouth. "Ugh! I will see you tomorrow, Hinata-chan!" He suddenly rushes away. The little baka.

It seems like he almost slipped up and told me something important. At least I know that whatever Mizuki is planning doesn't happen until tonight. I don't know what time so I am assuming around eight I should go over to Naruto's apartment and spy on him. He will be too excited or involved with whatever Mizuki has him doing to notice me. If Mizuki is around, I can just attempt to mask my chakra and hope for the best. If I get caught by him, hopefully I have seen enough to get a clue on what is going on. I can just pull the nosey card and see him he buys it. I sigh. It's always something.

* * *

At actually eight, I am peeking my head into a window of Naruto's apartment as I watch him eat some ramen. Well, this is anticlimactic. I've been bored all day. I wish something would happen! For the past eight hours, I have been wondering around the village to keep myself occupied. I didn't want to just show up at the compound since I told my father I had plans. For a few hours, I trained in my usual spot at the Third Training Ground for a few hours before I grew tired. After that, I tried to find Sasuke so I could hang out with him and inform him on what is going on. I couldn't find him! Heck, I even sought out Sakura to hang out with her. Nothing. Neji was on a mission earlier today so I couldn't kill time with him. Instead, I just ate dinner by myself and relaxed on top of some random building. It had a great view of the sky and it was a beautiful day so I decided to lay back and watch the sunset.

Apparently, someone else at the time was thinking the same thing I was. "What are you doing up here?" I had heard a voice ask.

I lifted my head up to find the unexpected visitor and noticed Shikamaru standing at the top of the stairway that led up to here. "I am watching the sunset," I had told him.

Shikamaru shrugged and sat down next to me. "Mind if I join ya?" he asks.

"I don't know," I had said. "I thought you only liked watching clouds? Wouldn't that be considered cheating if you checked out the sunset?"

Shikamaru smirked. "We have an open relationship." He laid down beside of me. "I've never seen you up here before."

"I've never been up here before," I had replied. "I just found this place while wandering around the village."

"I always come up here when I want to get away from the troublesome of everyday life," Shikamaru had told me. "This is my favorite spot to be in the whole village."

I smiled. "I can understand why. This has a really good view of everything while being reclusive at the same time."

"It is also a good place to nap," Shikamaru had added. I laugh. Of course. Lazy ass. We watched the sky in peace and quiet as the sun continues to slip away. The full moon was out before I knew it.

I stood up and stretched. "I am going to go now. Thank you for keeping me company," I had said. I waited for response. Silence. "Shikamaru?" I received a snore as an answer. I rolled my eyes and walked off, allowing him to nap alone. My first real interaction with Shikamaru and he falls a damn sleep! Somehow, I am not surprised. He did say this was a good place to nap.

I snap out of my thoughts as I notice Naruto slipping on his orange jumpsuit and leaving his apartment. I mask my chakra as I set out to follow him. I jump from roof to roof for a while, making sure I stay a good distance away from him. Finally, we end up at the Academy where I see Naruto go up the stairs on the side that leads up to the Hokage's office. I walk up the staircase behind him and watch him hop through an open window. I flatten my body against the wall as I slid along it and poke my head over to see what he is doing. Naruto tiptoes over to a bookcase that contains many scrolls and begins shuffling through it. Suddenly, I see the Hokage flicker on the lightswitch as Naruto tenses on the spot.

"What do you think you're doing here at this hour?" he demands with his hands behind his back. Hmm, why is he here so late? There must be some small apartment that connects to the office if a Hokage chooses to live there or something.

Naruto spins around and makes a familiar hand sign. "Sexy Jutsu!"

I smack my forehead as a gush of blood flew out of the Third Hokage's nose and he lands on the ground in a daze. How in the world did a silly jutsu like that have any effect on him? Naruto quickly went back to rummaging through scrolls and picks one up. After double checking that it is the correct scroll, he grins in excitement as he attaches the scroll to his back and jumps back out of the window. I begin to follow him again. So, Mizuki ended up telling him about the scroll after all. What could he have said to Naruto? Naruto wouldn't just steal something on his own free will. We leave the village part of Konohagakure and into the forest close to the Training Grounds. Naruto stops near a small wooden shed to sit down and catch his breathe and then takes the scroll off his back to read over it.

"Let's see," he mumbles to himself. "The first jutsu is Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu. Ugh! Why does it start off with the thing I struggle with the most?" Naruto furiously shakes his head. "No! I can't complain! I need to hurry and learn one jutsu from this scroll before someone finds me in order to become a Chunin!"

Mizuki lied and told him he could become a Chunin if he stole the scroll and learned a jutsu from it before someone catches him? What a lowlife, getting Naruto's hopes up like that. I watch from behind a tree for the next couple of hours as Naruto practices the jutsu. As I thought earlier, he picked up on the technique pretty quick and is spawning at Shadow Clones left and right. All of a sudden, I hear leaves rustling from above me and branches squeaking as a figure lands behind me. Before I can reaction, I feel a kunai pressing into my back.

"If you scream, you're dead," the person behind me whispers as I freeze up. It is Mizuki. What's going on? He's not suppose to be here just yet. He is suppose to be finding Iruka, who finds Naruto first. Where is Iruka?

I don't say anything back as Mizuki shoves me forward, forcing me to reveal my hiding spot from behind the tree. Naruto glances up from the noise and widen his eyes. "Hinata-chan! What are you doing here?" he asks.

"Um, well…" I stammer.

"She followed you here," Mizuki tells him as he steps out from the tree and stands beside of him. He has a menacing look resting on his face.

Naruto looks at the both of in confusion before laughing. He closes his eyes and scratches the back of his neck. "Heh, I guess you finally found me!" Naruto says. "It was smart to use Hinata-chan since she has the Byakugan. Though, you're a little late because-"

"I didn't use the brat to search for you," Mizuki snaps, interrupting Naruto. "She followed you her own free will and do you want to know why?"

"Because I really wanted to know what you were doing, Naruto-kun," I say. "You know how nosey I can get."

Mizuki glares at me. "No, she followed you because she allowed envy to cloud her mind and plans on taking the scroll away from you to prevent you from getting promoted!"

I snap my head towards him. "What?!" What kind of bullshit is that?!

"I-is that true, Hinata-chan?" Naruto asks, hesitantly.

I violently shake my head. "No! I have no reason to be jealous because he is lying!" I admit. "Mizuki used you to steal the scroll so he can get his hands on it! He told the whole village that you stole it for your own selfish needs and everybody is looking for you at this very moment!"

Naruto widens his eyes in shock at what I just told him. I am about to speak some more, but Mizuki suddenly slaps me and slings me into a tree, knocking the breath out of me."How did you figure that out, brat?!" he yells. Wow, nice going. Admitting your plans outloud. What an idiot excuse of a villain.

Instead of answering him, I rush over towards Naruto and extend my hands out. "Give me the scroll and let's go find Hokage-sama!" I order. "We need to notify him on what is going on!"

Naruto takes a step back, refusing to listen. "I'm so confused! Why does everybody want this scroll? What the hell is going on here?" he yells.

I narrow my eyes. "I just explained to you what is going on! You need to believe me, your best friend, over an instructor who never gave you the time of day!"

As I notice the gears in Naruto's brain turn, Mizuki throws a handful of kunai towards Naruto. I push him out of the way as I cross my arms in front of me to protect myself. I fall backwards against the shed as I deflect most of the kunai with some of them sticking to me. I wince in pain as I feel trickles of blood begin to run down my body. Mizuki places a hand on his hip and sighs. "This isn't how I planned things, but I guess I just have to kill two brats now instead of one."

"I will not allow you to put your hands on Naruto-kun!" I growl, taking the kunai out of my body one by one and flinging them to the ground in anger.

Mizuki smirks. "You know, you wouldn't be so adamant to protect him if you knew his secret."

Naruto scrunched up his face. "What? What secret?" he questions. "I don't have a secret!"

"It is a secret of yours that you don't even know about," Mizuki explains. "It has always been a law that everybody in the village was forbidden to tell you about this secret."

"Forbidden to tell me?" Naruto repeats. "What is this secret?! Tell me!"

"I suppose I can break the rules and tell you about this secret before you die," Mizuki taunts. Shit! I hate standing here so helpless! If I move to attack, he will just outdo me! He knows what I can do from my exams earlier! "Do you know about the incident that happened twelve years ago that involved the Nine Tailed Fox?"

Naruto nods. "Yeah, but what about it?"

"Since that day, a special law was created for the village," Mizuki begins. "The law is that nobody is allowed to talk about the fact that you are the Nine Tailed Demon Fox!"

"Naruto! Don't listen to a word he is saying!" I yell as Naruto freezes in shock and despair.

Mizuki raises his voice over mine. "You are the Nine Tails that destroyed the village and killed many people, including the Yondaime Hokage! You were sealed by the Sandaime Hokage, who you love and admire, and you have been lied to by everyone this whole time! Didn't you find it odd how everyone hates you? Like they hated you just for even existing! Well, your friend is now the same! She hates you now for hearing what you are! You're nothing but a monster!"

"Shut up!" I yell. "That is not true! You are not a monster! You-"

"Nobody will ever love you! That scroll you are holding was used to seal you up!"

"Damnit!" Naruto yells as an intense amount of chakra begins to swirl around him in rage. For an instant, his eyes flickered over to a bright yellow color before returning back to his normal blue eyes. If he doesn't calm down, the Nine Tails' chakra is going to start leaking out and consume his mind!

Mizuki picks up the large shuriken off his back and flings it to Naruto to stop him. Damnit! I made a hand sign as an exact copy of me emerges out of thin air and runs over to Naruto, shielding him from the attack. The shuriken sticks into my Shadow Clone's back as I take off after Mizuki. I reach out to strike him, but he grabs my wrist and tosses me to the side. "I will admit, I am surprised that you are able to create a Shadow Clone since you didn't reveal it during your exams," Mizuki says to me. "Strange since most students like to show off their best abilities during those exams. Anyways, that doesn't matter. You're still no match for me!"

I clench of my fists in anger. "I don't care!" I shout. "You are not going to hurt Naruto-kun! I will protect him to my last breathe even if I lose!"

Mizuki waves his hand. "How can you even care for that monster still? That's just betrayal to our village! You saw those eyes earlier… the eyes of a real demon!"

"Naruto-kun is not like that!" I shout.

I jump towards Mizuki as he attempts to knee me in the stomach. I spin out of the way and throw a roundhouse kick to his face. He blocks it and throw a quick punch to my face, making contact. I fall to the ground again and wipe off my mouth. Ugh! I'm too tired and low on chakra. I wasn't prepared to fight against Mizuki! I shouldn't have trained earlier! "Well, it doesn't matter what you think anyways," Mizuki tells me. "I'm going to kill Naruto and get the scroll. I will deal with you later."

He turns around and begins to walk over towards Naruto, who is still frozen in fear and shock. "No!" I scream as I get up and jump on top of Mizuki's back, pulling his hair.

"W-what are you doing?!" Mizuki snaps as he grabs my shoulders and flips me over his body. I crash to the ground and he places a foot on top of my head. "You are persistent, brat. I will give you that! But, it is starting to get annoying. I guess I will just have to take care of you first and-agh!"

Mizuki stumbles backwards as Naruto lands beside of me from just tackling him. He sticks his hand out in front of me in a protective manner. "Do not touch, Hinata-chan!" Naruto growls. "I will kill you!"

Oh, thank God. He's finally came to his senses and is about to kick some major ass! Mizuki laughs. "Haha! I'll kill someone like you in one shot!"

Naruto glowers towards Mizuki. "Try it trash! I'll return the pain a thousand times over!"

"Then, do it, Demon Fox!"

Naruto makes a hand sign. " _Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu_!" I widen my eyes in amazement as a thousand or so Narutos appear around me, surrounding us. All I can see is a sea full of orange.

Mizuki instantly drops his bad guy act as he keeps whirling his head around in fright. "Wha-what's going on?!" he shouts.

"What's wrong?" all the Naruto's asks, smirking and raising up their fists. "Weren't you going to kill me with one shot? Well, I guess I'll start first, okay?"

I quickly run up the nearest tree to get out of the way as Naruto and his Shadow Clones all pronounce on top of Mizuki and KOed him in a thousand shots. Mizuki's screams of terror prior to that was music to my ears. After Naruto's clones poofed away, we find a bloodied and bruised up Mizuki lying pathetically on the ground. Naruto looks up at me and grins. "Hehe! I went a little too far," he says to me.

I rush up to Naruto and give him a hug. "He deserved it," I tell him. "He called you a monster and you are not, and never have been, one."

Naruto pulls away and gives me a look of hurt. "Is it true what he said?" he asked. "Am I really the Nine Tailed Fox?"

I hesitate to come up with the correct words without blowing my cover. "I-I don't know what he said is true or not. But, I do know is that you are not the Nine Tailed Fox. Mizuki mentioned that it was sealed so the fox could be sealed inside of you." Yeah, that's a good way to explain things without revealing too much!

"Why would they want to seal a demon inside of me?" Naruto asks, avert his eyes downward. "When it is obvious that everybody hates it? That's why everybody has treated me the way they did my whole life."

"Naruto-kun…"

Naruto looks back up and smiles. "Except for only a handful of people like you, Hinata-chan. You always stuck by my side and never cared what people thought about us. You've been there for me since the very beginning. Thank you for that. I have always appreciated it."

I smile back and smoothed down his hair. "We should take Mizuki and report this to Hokage-sama. Maybe he can answer your questions."

"Actually, I will handle Mizuki. You two go on ahead to see the Sandaime," I hear a voice behind me say. I turn around and notice Iruka standing there with Mizuki laying across his shoulder.

"Iruka-sensei! What are you doing here?" Naruto asks.

"I was searching for you, Naruto, before Mizuki stopped me and tied me up," Iruka explained. Hmm, that's odd. Why would he do that? In the anime/manga, Mizuki followed Iruka in order to find Naruto. "Good thing you were here, Hinata. Naruto could've ended up in some serious trouble from both Mizuki and the village."

Naruto throws his hands up. "From the village? What? Why?"

"You stole a very important and forbidden scroll," Iruka says. "None of us knew why until I came across Mizuki. You better go ahead and visit Hokage-sama before the other villagers find you and riot."

"Crap! Okay!" Naruto cries. "Come on, Hinata-chan!" He quickly rushes off as I follow after him. I didn't want to linger around Iruka alone in fear that he might start asking me questions about my appearance in this whole situation. Those answers are meant for the Hokage.

* * *

"Hinata. You may come in now," the Third Hokage informs me as Naruto leaves his office. I have been sitting in the hallway for the past thirty minutes as he and the Hokage talked alone. We actually talked together at first and gave our testimonies to what happened with Mizuki, but then the Hokage sent me out of the room to speak to Naruto. He is probably answering Naruto's questions about the Nine Tails. Naruto and I exchange glances as I make my way into the office, closing the door behind me. He didn't seem upset but he didn't look happy either. I assume learning you have a demon sealed inside of you will give you a mixture of emotions to deal with.

I sit down in front of the Hokage's desk as he sits down behind me. He clasp his hands together and gives me a warm smile. "Are you wondering why I called you back in here?"

I nod. "To be honest, yes." I had just explained myself earlier, why would he want to speak to me again?

"I just want to talk to you about something that I observe earlier," the Hokage tells me.

I arch an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" I ask.

"I just find it strange that you seem to have known what Naruto was up to this whole time," the Hokage begins as I tense up. Shit. What did he figure out? "When you followed him to my office to retrieve the scroll, you did nothing to stop him. Any other person would have. But, you did not. You were not fazed about the fact that the Nine Tails Fox lies inside of Naruto when Mizuki revealed it to the two of you. What do you think of these observations? Am I just overthinking things?"

Okay, calm down. Think this through before you speak. He is being fair enough to allow me to explain myself so I cannot screw this chance up. But, what should I say? That I used to watch you through a tv screen but then I suddenly died and ended up being reborn in this body? Nobody would believe that! Even if they did, it would be awkward as hell if everyone knew that! They would probably feel so violated that I know everything about them and watched them even in their most valuable moments. I know I would! You've always been a good liar so it is time to put those skills to the test and tell the most convincing lie ever!

"To answer your question, and I am not meaning to be rude, but I think you are just overthinking things," I tell him. "While Naruto-kun and I were talking about how our Graduation Exams went, Mizuki randomly comes up to us and pulls Naruto aside. After speaking, Naruto-kun mentions to me that he was excited about something but was not allowed to tell me because it was a secret. I found this a little strange because we all know that all the instructors at the Academy, except for Iruka-sensei, never gave Naruto-kun the time of day unless they were yelling at him. That includes Mizuki, who sudden expresses an interest in him and tells him a "secret".

At first, I thought I was just over analyzing the situation, but things officially became suspicious to me when I asked Naruto-kun to hang out with me this evening to celebrate our promotion and he denies and tells me he is busy tonight. He is never busy! Plus, I told him this evening and not tonight so that made me wonder if this "secret" that Mizuki told him about is a thing that is going to occur tonight. Worrying about Naruto-kun, I sort of spied on him and followed him around the village. When he arrived at the Hokage Tower, I thought he was just pulling some prank, especially when he used his Sexy Jutsu on you."

The Third Hokage clears his throat in somewhat embarrassment. "Well, yes. That boy is such a character."

I resist the urge to giggle as I continued. "I was planning on pulling him aside and scolding him for his antics, but I was not given the chance to when I saw him grab a scroll and jump out of a different window than when he first snuck in. At that point, I knew something was wrong and went after him. Naruto likes to play pranks, but he would never just outright steal something. I lost sight of him for awhile, but finally found him near the Training Grounds. It looked like he had already open the scroll and had been training. I was about to approach him when Mizuki comes out of nowhere with a kunai to my back. From there, you already know what happened.

"The only reason I didn't freak out about the Nine Tails is because Mizuki kept saying that Naruto-kun is the Nine-tails. But, he contradicted that statement when he always kept mentioning that the fox was sealed inside of him. All my years of being best friends with Naruto-kun, he has never possessed or shown any "demon" like qualities so I felt I had no reason to freak out and betray him in a time of need. While I am shocked he has the Nine Tailed Fox sealed inside of him, it is irrelevant information to me when it comes to my relationship with him."

I just gave him the best lie of my two lives. Actually, there is a lot of truth in it since I really didn't know what the secret was or what Naruto was up to until we were in the forest. In fact, did I even tell a lie at all or just a small fib? I watch the Third Hokage nervously as he pondered of my response. "I am glad Naruto has someone in his life who cares about him so much and will go to great lengths for him," the Hokage finally says.

I widen my eyes in shock. Okay, I was not expecting him to say that. "What?" I reply, lamely.

The Third Hokage smiles. "I am sorry if I gave you the impression that I mistrusted you. Those two observation were just something that I needed further explanation on. I never expected for Mizuki to betray the village like he did and I am trying to gather all the intel as I can."

HolyhellsonofabitchmotherofGod! He actually believes me! I am so being more careful in the future when I get myself into canon plots like these. I do not want my cover to be blown! "That is understandable," I tell him.

"Well, I know it is getting late and-"

I put my hands up to my head. "Oh, no! It is so late! I bet my father is worried sick about me!" The Hokage arches an eyebrow as I quickly bow. "I apologize for my outburst and for interrupting you."

The Third chuckles. "Do not worry. I have already sent someone to inform Hiashi on your whereabouts and what had happened. I advise you head on home so he can see in person that you are safe."

"I think that is a good idea," I say as I walk towards the door. An upset Hiashi isn't a pretty sight. "Goodnight, Hokage-sama."

"Take care, Hinata," the Hokage says back as I bow and leave his office. I sigh in relief when I reach the end of the hallway and begin to run back to the compound. Well, that meeting went better than I thought it did. I really do need to be more careful in the future. One more slip up and he might not believe me next time. I do not want to end up killed or used as tool.

 **Author's note: Most of my chapters from here on out are going to be of this length so get prepared! Hinata and her friends are finally Genin now! What awaits them in the future? A ton of BS is the answer! Lol, jk. But, before anyone rags on me for giving her chakra scalpels let me briefly explain. She has been training to control her chakra since she was five so it is obvious that she has excellent chakra control, better than Sakura's. It take a lot of chakra to use chakra scalpels since it is usually meant for med-nins. But, I thought it would be cool to enhance the Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms just a little. Why only internally harm your opponent when you can externally cut the shit out of them by tearing their flesh? OC Hinata isn't going to become a Mary Sue, but I think her having Eight Trigrams and Shadow Clones Jutsu for right now isn't overdoing it. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and see you all on Thursday!**


	10. Chapter 10: Rookie Life Arc

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or there would be more canon and less filler.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Rookie Life Arc**

 **Chapter ten**

As I walk into the classroom for the last time, I gaze around at my surroundings. Even though I have been coming to this same room for the past two years, it appears different to me today. Maybe it is because I am about to embark on a journey in my life or that my classmates now has forehead protectors wrapped somewhere on the bodies, all just as ready to become Genin as I am. Except, only nine out of the twenty-seven of us actually become Genin while the rest get sent back to the Academy for another year of studying or permanently banned for ever becoming a Shinobi if they are terrible enough. To be honest, my classmates never had a fair chance to even become Shinobi since my class is known to have most of the major's clan future heirs and heiress. We are just naturally talented at birth and trained as soon as we can walk. Sorry canon fodder civilian children.

Since I see that Naruto is not here yet, I decide to sit beside Sasuke. I have not seen or spoke to him since yesterday morning because he just suddenly disappeared on us. I am a little curious as to where he went. "Good morning, Sasuke-kun," I greet him as I take Naruto's seat.

"Hn," Sasuke grunts, not bothering to look at me.

"Are you excited to find who your team is?" I ask, ignoring his lack of response. "It would be pretty cool to have all three of us on the same team! We would be unstoppable! Though, I do not know how you and Naruto-kun would fare with working as a team since you two tend to butt heads so easily. Perhaps our new squad leader will fix that problem and-"

"Alright, fine! Good morning!" Sasuke snaps, giving me an evil look. Heh, I knew if I ramble on long enough I would get his attention.

"Where did you run off to after the exams yesterday?" I question. "We waited around for you outside, but you never showed up."

"I didn't get the memo that we were suppose to meet up," Sasuke says in his usual deadpan voice.

Ugh, smartass. "Just humor me and answer my question, please," I plead.

Sasuke rests his elbows on the desk and presses his fingers together up to his chin. "It isn't any of your concern where I was."

I give a fretful glance and decide to drop the subject. I can sense that whatever he did yesterday he does not want to talk about right now. If he really wants for me or Naruto to know something, he will tell us on his own accord. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but I know Sasuke will come around and tell us eventually of his whereabouts yesterday. He usually just doesn't run off on his own like that, especially without tell one of us, so I get the feeling whatever he was doing was important to him. I will just have to warn Naruto when I see him to not push the topic on Sasuke.

"But, I agree with you," Sasuke suddenly says, pulling me out of my thoughts. "It wouldn't be so bad to be on a team with you and the dobe. You two are probably the only ones that I will be able to tolerate and who I don't find annoying."

I sigh. "It isn't wise to be thinking like that," I warn him. "What are you going to do if Naruto-kun or I do not end up on a team with you? You can't just ignore your teammates." I am mainly just speaking for Sakura.

"As long as they stay out of my way and are not a nuisance, I will be fine," Sasuke tells me nonchalantly.

I roll my eyes. "That isn't a good mindset to have, but I can't force you to think otherwise."

Sasuke smirks. "You worry about me and dobe too much."

I dramatically throw my hands up in the air. "Have you two met yourselves? You two have never given me any reason not to. Yesterday is a perfect example!"

Sasuke drops his smirk. "Don't throw me on the same level as him. That was his doings."

"Okay, Sasuke-kun. Whatever you say," I tell him in a sing-song tone that causes him to deepen his frown in annoyance.

"Hey guys!" Naruto hollars, springing up out of nowhere. He locks his eyes on Sasuke. "Where were you yesterday, teme? You missed everything! Hinata-chan and I-" I shoot Naruto a "shut up" look and he covers his mouth.

Sasuke arches an eyebrow. "What are you going on about now?"

I wave my hand. "Oh, nothing!" I reply as Sasuke rolls his eyes. The Third ordered us to not say anything to anybody about what happened until they can find out Mizuki's motives for wanting to betray the village and steal the scroll. Naruto being Naruto, it seems that must have slipped his mind.

"Sorry, I forgot," Naruto whispers into my ear as we move around each other to change seats.

I shrug. "I figured. It is fine," I tell him.

Naruto spends the next few minutes telling us about his adventures this morning with a kid he met named Konohamaru. Iruka walks into the room with a clipboard in his hand and stands in front of us. "Good morning, everyone!" he greets. "I am going to be speaking to you all for only a few minutes before I call the three-man squads. As of today, you are all Shinobi. You all have faced difficult trials and hardships to get to this point. But, that's nothing because what is coming next will be far more difficult. You are only Genin, first level Shinobi. Each Genin will be placed into three-man squads and each squad will be assigned a Jounin, an elite Shinobi, as your leader. They will come in and meet you guys really soon."

Naruto points at me and Sasuke. "I hope all three of us are on a squad together! We would totally be the best and kick ass!"

"Be the best? You will probably only slow us down," Sasuke taunts as Naruto glares at him with flames flickering in his eyes.

I pinch the bridge of my nose. "Don't get him started," I complain.

"We want each squad to have a balance of strength and abilities," Iruka explains. "That is how we set them up." He lifts up the clipboard. "I will now announce the squads."

As Iruka begins to list off the first six teams that will never become Shinobi, I allow my mind to wander in boredom. I already how this is going to play out. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura will be on a team together since they will be able to help one another improve and their grades and abilities balances the team out. I stopped tutoring Naruto during our fourth year because "he finally got it", but the kid's homework and exam grades said otherwise so I am pretty sure he's still dead last. I will be on Team Eight with Kiba and Shino because of our tracking abilities and Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji will be on Team Ten because of their diversion abilities. While I would rather be on a team with Sasuke and Naruto, at least I made Naruto a little smarter, Sasuke a slightly better teammate with my friendship, and Sakura more focused on her training. They will become a better team this time around!

"Team Seven: Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, and Yamanaka Ino!" Iruka calls out.

I widen my eyes and snap my head towards Ino who is cheering loudly. "Yay! I get to be on a team with Sasuke-kun! Take that Billboard Brow!"

"Shut it, Ino-Pig!" Sakura shouts, slamming her fist on her desk.

Naruto turns to Sasuke. "Hey! It looks like we will be on the same team after all!" He glances over sadly at me. "Sorry, Hinata-chan."

Why? Why? Why is Ino on the same team as Naruto and Sasuke?! I even taught Sakura to dial down her love for Sasuke just so he can tolerate her! Did Ino end up ranking higher than Sakura after all? But, that's impossible! This shouldn't even be happening right now! Ino's abilities doesn't match up with Naruto's and Sasuke's! She is an intelligent girl like Sakura, but that is all that I can think of. What the hell is going on right now?

"Team Eight: Aburame Shino, Akimichi Choji, and Inuzuka Kiba!"

I almost jump up out of my chair in protest. I am suppose to be on Team Eight! Not Choji! He doesn't have any tracking specialties! That's suppose to be my spot! And, why is it an all guys team? That's really uncommon. What team am I on then? I better not end up on a canon fodder team! This is getting ridiculous!

"Team Ten: Haruno Sakura, Hyūga Hinata, and Nara Shikamaru!"

I give up. I am stumped. I do not understand what is going on nor do I get how I am compatible with those two. Plus, there is two females on the same team. That is rare! Did I do something to change all of this? I tried my best not to. The only I did was became friends with Sasuke and Naruto and improved them and Sakura in different areas. That shouldn't have changed anything as drastic as this. I wonder if the team's Jounin leader changed as well. Ughhhh. At least I ended up on a relevant team.

"What's wrong, Hinata-chan?" Naruto asks. "You don't seem happy. Do you not like your new teammates? I know Shikamaru is lazy as hell, but Sakura-chan is pretty cool!" Of course you think that. You have a major crush on her!

I throw on a fake smile. "No, I am fine," I lie. "I was just thinking." Naruto shrugs while Sasuke gives me an odd look. Crap, he know I'm lying. Oh, well. I don't have to tell him crap since he doesn't want to tell me where he was yesterday.

"Okay!" Iruka says. "That is all the teams! I would like for you all to go sit with your new teammates to acquaint yourselves until your squad leaders come get you."

As I get up, Ino practically pushes me aside and crawls over Naruto, knocking him out of his seat. "Sasuke-kun! Aren't you glad we are on a team together?" she asks, wrapping her arms around his neck and winking at him.

"Will you get off of me?!" Sasuke growls as Ino continues to coo in his ear.

I would have been laughing at the whole scene if Ino had not knocked Naruto out of his own seat. She didn't even apologize! I can already tell how she is going to treat Naruto. At least Sakura, in the beginning from what I can remember, wasn't that bad towards him! Was Ino always this bad? I know she is a loud girl, but I never thought she was this rude. I glance down at Naruto who has gotten up and is brushing himself off. "What's so great about Sasuke that you had to go and do that for?" Naruto asks, narrowing his eyes at Ino.

Ino rolls her eyes. "Shut up and leave us alone, Naruto!"

"Why should I leave you alone when you're in my seat?" Naruto asks. "Besides, Iruka-sensei told us to seat together."

"Well, sit in the other seat and stay quiet!" Ino snaps.

Okay, that's it. That bitch is not going to treat Naruto like that! I open my mouth to say something, but Sasuke beats me to it. "Actually, why don't you be quiet?" Sasuke says, removing Ino's arm away from his neck and lightly shoving it away.

Ino's face drops. "Sasuke-kun, why are you saying that?"

Sasuke glares at her. "Because you're annoying. That's why."

Oh, shit! You go Sasuke! Naruto frowns. "That was a little harsh, don't ya think?" he scolds. There's Naruto always being the nice guy when Ino was just mean as hell to him.

I decide to take this moment to step away from the awkward and tense situation and find my teammates. I notice that Sakura is already sitting near Shikamaru in the front so I go over to meet them. Sakura sees me and smiles. "Hey, Hinata!" she greets.

I sit down in the empty seat between Sakura and a sleeping Shikamaru. "Is he really taking a nap?" I ask, giggling.

Sakura nods as she crosses her arms in annoyance. "Why did we end up with a lazy person like that on our team for anyways?"

"Why did I have to end up on a team with two girls?" Shikamaru asks back lazily as he raises his head up and yawns.

Sakura shoots her eyebrows up. "What is that suppose to mean?! Argh, I thought you were sleeping!"

Shikamaru yawns once more and narrows his eyes. "I'm trying, but you never shut up."

Sakura clenches her fist as I roll my eyes. I forgot how Shikamaru's thoughts are towards girls, especially when he has to fight them. "Can you two not argue?" I ask. I get enough of that from Naruto and Sasuke.

"Yeah, whatever," Shikamaru replies. "Oh, by the way, thanks for waking me up last night."

I blink as I stare at him in confusion. "Um, I didn't wake you up," I tell him.

Shikamaru sighs. "I'm being sarcastic. You didn't wake me up before you left and, in return, that made me arrive home late and I received an earful from my mom. Do you know how troublesome that woman is?"

I smirk in response. I do feel slightly guilty since his mother sounds like a very overbearing and strict woman. I do not remember her much from the anime/manga, but I do remember Shikamaru complaining about her alot. "From the sounds of it, I can guess very," I say.

"Exactly. She was not happy and I had to stay up half the night listening to her nag. That's why I am so tired," Shikamaru explains, yawning again for measure.

"You're always tired," Sakura mumbles under her breath.

Well, this isn't how I wanted to start off with my new team. Sakura and Shikamaru is already annoyed with each other and Shikamaru seems annoyed with me for not waking him up last night. How was I supposed to know to wake him up? He naps all the damn time! On top of that, he doesn't seem to thrilled to have two females on his team. I'm so excited to listen to all the complaining he's going to do and all the angry outbursts Sakura is going to have. Not. I would say that I hate you destiny, but then I would be pulling a Neji.

The classroom door opens up and everybody grows quiet as a few Jounin walk in. Out of the small group, I only recognize Asuma Sarutobi and Kurenai Yūhi. Either one of them could be my new sensei. Asuma is originally Team Ten's squad leader. However, Kurenai took a great interest in Hinata in the anime/manga. One by one, each Jounin calls out their team and the classroom population begins to decrease with each callout. Finally, Asuma steps forward and clears his throat.

"Team Ten! How about you all come with me and we grab some lunch and get to know each other?" Asuma suggests. He blows out some smoke from his cigarette and winks. "My treat." Sakura, Shikamaru, and I exchange glances before getting up and following him out of the room. So, it seems like he is still Team Ten's leader after all. At least something stayed the same. That means Kurenai is still going to be with Team Eight and Kakashi is going to waltz in late and claim Team Seven while getting pranked by Naruto.

No one says a word as we leave the Academy and walk through the village. After a few minutes, we go into a restaurant named Yakiniku Q and sit down at a large green-seated booth with all three of us sitting on one side while Asuma sits on the other. This place is known for its bbq and for having their customers cook their own food over a charcoal brazier, but we decided to sit at a table today. I am not too crazy over bbq, but if Asuma is paying than I am not going to complain. A waitress quickly comes up to us, takes our order, and walks off. Asuma takes that moment after she leaves to stare at the each of us and arches an eyebrow.

"You sure are a lively bunch," he says, sarcastically.

"We didn't exactly start out on the right foot," I admit, shifting my eyes over to my new teammates.

Asuma sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "Great. That's good to hear. Well, you better start off on the left foot then because you three are a team now and will be spending a lot of time together," he tells us. Ugh, don't remind me. "Since this is our first meeting, I think we should take this time to get to know each other better."

"What do you want to know?" Sakura asks.

"How about the basics such as your likes and dislikes? Maybe even throw in a dream for the future if you want," Asuma replies. Man, does everybody in this universe use that as an icebreaker? The waitress comes back with our drinks and Asuma takes a sip from his sake. He's going to need more than one bottle of sake to keep his insanity with this team. "Who would like to start first?"

"I will," Sakura volunteers. "My name is Haruno Sakura! I like studying and training genjutsu, shopping, being with my friends, and Sasuke-kun!" She slightly blushes as she says his name. "My dislikes are Ino-pig… grrr." Flames spark in her eyes as she mentions her name. Damn, she's a very expressive person. "My dream is to become a strong kunoichi and to be with Sasuke-kun!"

"Do you ever think about anything besides Sasuke?" Shikamaru scoffs.

"Do you do anything besides complain and sleep?" Sakura snaps back.

"Since you spoke up, why don't you go next?" Asuma asks, addressing Shikamaru.

"Fine," Shikamaru sighs. "The name is Nara Shikamaru. I like playing Go and Shogi, napping, watching clouds, and my friends. I dislike anything troublesome. My dream is nothing to spectacular. Just to grow up, get married to a woman that isn't too ugly or attractive, have two kids, a girl first then a boy, and grow old and die before my wife."

Asuma sweatdrops and chuckles. "That's a… very specific dream you have."

Shikamaru shrugs. "Might as well think it out now before it becomes a hassle in the future."

"Alright," Asuma says, looking over at me. "You're turn."

"Okay!" I say. "My name is Hyūga Hinata! I like training, my friends and family, reading, cinnamon buns, and exploring nature. My dislikes are rude and stuck up people and salads. My dream is to become a strong, kind, and respected Head of the Hyūga clan one day!" And to change its ways, but nobody needs to know that just yet.

Asuma nods. "It seems, based off your answers, that you each are your own unique individual with a lot of potential. This is going to be an interesting team." In other words, we are a team of different personalities that will always clash and we will probably make you want to pull your hair out. And, when I mean we, I mean Shikamaru and Sakura.

"Tell us about yourself now, sensei," Sakura insists. "We told you about us yet we don't know nothing about you.

"Hmmm, let's see here," Asuma ponders. "My name is Sarutobi Asuma and I am the son of the Sandaime Hokage. My likes are a good smoke, training, Shogi, and soba with tororo. My dislikes are asparagus and those who do not work hard or cheat. My dream is to make you guys the best Shinobis that you can be!" He gives us a smile as he says that.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "Is that really your only goal?" he asks.

Asuma shrugs and puts a toothpick in his mouth. "Why not? I have achieved a lot of dreams in my lifetime. This is just my current one at the moment. It seems like I found myself a new Shoji partner though!"

Shikamaru smirks. "Heh, I guess so," he replies. And, that is how Shikamaru became Asuma's favorite student. The End.

"So, when do we start our first mission?" I ask. I want the topic of the Genin Exams to be brought up already since I know we aren't going on missions right off the bat.

"We have to do a survival training exercise first before any of you can think about going on a mission," Asuma tells me.

"Oh, so you're wanting to prepare us before we actually start going on missions?" Sakura questions, trying to understand the concept. "So we don't get blindsided?"

"I guess you can think of it like that," Asuma says. He shakes his head. "But, not exactly. I am going to be testing you three to see if you really are capable of becoming Genin."

"But, we did that by taking and passing the Graduation Exams," Sakura explains, narrowing her eyes in confusion. "I don't understand what you mean."

Asuma breaks out a cigarette and takes a long puff before responding. "Ehh, you guys are not going to like to hear this," he begins. "But, that exam was just to see if you know the basics of becoming a Shinobi. This test will prove to me if you really are capable of becoming one. Out of the twenty-seven of you that passed, only nine of you are actually allowed to become Genin. Meaning you have a 33% chance of passing!"

Sakura spits out of drink as Shikamaru widens his eyes in surprise. I let out a gasp of my own so I do not stand out. "What? Are you kidding me?" Shikamaru exclaims. "We have to take another exam? Oh, man. What a drag!"

"If we fail, what happens?" Sakura asks.

Asuma sighs and crosses his arms. "If you do not meet my standards, then you will be sent back to the Academy for another year," he tells us nonchalantly. "If you guys really do bad, I can choose to ban you guys forever becoming Shinobi." I like how he says this so laid back, like he doesn't really care.

Realizing I haven't given a shocked outburst yet, I decide it is my turn now. "Why weren't we warned about this before?"

"It is part of being a Shinobi. We don't always know everything," Asuma says. He finishes off his sake, slams it onto the table, and throws us an enthusiastic look. "Alright! Why don't we go ahead and start our exam now?"

Wait! Now? I thought it wouldn't be until tomorrow morning! I was going to prepared for it! Damnit. Why do I keep getting all these surprises thrown at me today?

* * *

An hour later, we all find ourselves in the Sixth Training Grounds. It is a pretty wooded area, compared to the Third Training Ground, though there is a tiny clearing in the middle where we are standing at right now. Asuma walks over to a random tree at the edge of the clearing, pulls out a huge roll of beige tape, and begins to create a large square in front of it. Shikamaru, Sakura, and I exchange puzzled looks as he did this. What the hell is he doing? Is this part of our exam? Asuma puts the tape back in his pocket and stands in the center of his newly created tape square.

"The objective of the Genin Exam I am about to give you is fairly simple," he tells us. He points down at the ground. "You three have an half an hour to get me out of this square. I want you to give it your all and do not hold back. I promise that none of you will be able to harm me." He smirks as he says that.

Sakura frowns. "I can't tell if he is just that confident in himself or if he is insulting our skills," she mumbles to herself.

"What happens if we are not able to get you out of the square within the time limit?" I ask. I don't think thirty minutes is enough time given he is more experienced than us. Even if it is three against one, he's a freaking Jounin and we are only Genin!

Asuma shrugs. "Then, you will fail."

"Way to be vague," Shikamaru scoffed, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"He's right!" Sakura protests. "Does that mean we get sent back to the Academy or-"

Asuma cute Sakura by pulling out a pocket watch and setting a timer. "Your exam starts now!" he calls out, clasping his hands together as a large screen of smoke appears.

I take that moment to retreat into the more wooded area and run up the thickest part of a tree for shelter. I quickly activate my Byakugan to scan the area for Sakura and Shikamaru. I sense that Sakura is lying under a shrub on the ground just a few feet from my left while Shikamaru is crouched down behind a bush to my right. Great, at least they were smart enough to hide during the smoke attack. Now, it is time to think of a plan. The smoke that Asuma created clears up and I see him turn his head.

"I'm impressed!" he hollers. "You've three seem to have hidden yourselves pretty well!" Nobody dares to respond back as Asuma leans back against the tree and lights up a cigarette as he closes his eyes.

Okay, what should I our next step be. Obviously, we have to work as a team. That's one of the main reasons why these three man squads was formed. Shinobi, most of the time, never go on missions alone because it would be too dangerous. I really can't think of a plan alone without my other teammates presence, especially when one of them is a natural born strategist and has probably already formed at least twenty moves in his head. I need to be able to group them up without getting heard by Asuma and give away my location. While I think I'm being quite, Asuma is way more experienced than us and his ears will catch me in a heartbeat. I need to create a diversion that will distract him long enough for me to grab Sakura and meet over with Shikamaru. I hope this works!

I hold up a hand sign and a Shadow Clone appears beside of me. Being a part of me, it already knows my thoughts without me explaining it to her. The Shadow Clone nods at me before dashing off to my left. If my Shadow Clone pops out of a different spot than where I am at, Asuma shouldn't be able to notice where I am hiding. My clone hops over a few trees before bursting out of one and makes her way towards Asuma. With my extended vision, I notice Shikamaru and Sakura tense up at the sight of my clone. They must think I'm a dumbass for attacking head on since they do not know it is not really me. I better hurry and come to them before they react to join me my clone. Asuma's eyes snap open as he focuses his attention on my Shadow Clone and I take that opportunity to grab Sakura. I silently jump off the tree to land on the ground and begin to make my way over to Sakura's position as I sense my clone get into my usual fighting stance.

I approach Sakura and wrap my hand over her mouth so she doesn't make any sudden sound or movement from my sudden appearance next to her. Her body jerks in surprise as she spins her head to look at me and gives me a crazy look as I put a finger up to my lips. She nods in understanding as I motion for her to follow me and we take off over to Shikamaru. At this point, my clone is attacking Asuma now to attempt to lure him out of the box as he effortlessly dodges her attacks. He seems to saying something to her, probably taunts, but I do not pay too much attention. When we find Shikamaru, he does not seem as surprised as Sakura was when I find her. We stay crouched down as Sakura and I crawl over to him and form a small circle.

"I wondered when you two were going to show up," Shikamaru whispers so we aren't heard.

Sakura narrows her eyebrows. "Are you really that lazy to come look for us?" she hisses.

Shikamaru sighs. "Don't start. With Hinata's eyesight, I already knew she would come search for us." He flicks his eyes over at me. "Good idea on distracting Asuma, but when did you learn to create Shadow Clones?"

"That story is for another time," I tell him. "Right now, we need to think of a plan to get him out of that square."

Shikamaru smirks. "Already thought of one," he admits.

Sakura gasps. "What? That fast?"

Shikamaru nods. "Yep," he replies. "Hinata, get rid of your clone now so Asuma doesn't get too suspicious and figures out your bluff."

I obey and poof away my clone as Asuma appears slightly startled from the action. He quickly recovers and smiles. "A decoy, huh?" he says, but nothing more. He rests his body against the tree again and closes his eyes to finish off his cigarette.

"Now that he knows that was only just a distraction, I need to tell you the plan before he pulls something on us," Shikamaru says to us. That is true. Asuma never said that he wouldn't attack back. He can throw a kunai at us any second if he pinpoints our location. As Shikamaru spends the next few minutes going over his idea, Sakura and I lean in to listen carefully. Boy, this kid is smart! I would have never thought of such a detailed plan so quickly. Sakura and I throw in our own ideas and a few make the cut. "Okay, do you two understand?"

"Yes," Sakura and I reply at the same time.

"Alright, let's do this!"

I create two Shadow Clones this time and have then go after Asuma as a distraction once more while the three of us distance ourselves a little bit without being spotted. Asuma opens his eyes again to see my clones and grins. "So, two against one this time, huh?" he asks as he dodges an incoming strike. I'm hoping he thinks it is actually me fighting along side with my Shadow Clone while we set up for our plan.

I hop onto a branch as the other two got into their positions and stood still, waiting for the correct time to pass. 10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1! On cue, three clones on Sakura and two clones of Shikamaru emerge out of random places from the forest and begin to charge towards Asuma. He does not take his eyes off my Shadow Clones as he pulls out a handful of shuriken and hurls them at the clones. The clones instantly disappear as they get hit and a second wave of clones run in to take their place.

Asuma shakes his head as he throws more shuriken. "You have to do more than spam clones to get me out of this square!" he hollers as he sees a third wave of clones coming at him.

He tosses another around of shuriken and then pulls out a kunai and stabs one of my Shadow Clones in the shoulder, causing it to go up in smoke. Asuma turns to attack my second Shadow Clone when he averts his eyes over to his side as he notices a stray Sakura clone jumping towards him that he seemed to have missed. He raises his kunai to strike as I see Sakura lift one finger from her hiding spot. Her illusionary clone suddenly explodes into a cloud of cherry blossom petals. Asuma narrows his eyes in confusion as I take this brief moment to throw a kunai attached to some wire towards his head. As the pink mist clears up, Asuma notices my kunai at the last moment and barely ducks. I quickly wrap the wire around a branch as the kunai sticks into the tree behind Asuma.

As Asuma stands back up, I give him no time to rest as I hurl another kunai towards him. As I did so, I jump out of my position and start to sprint after him, sending chakra in my feet for speed. Asuma eyes lock on me and the incoming kunai. He take that opportunity to grab my Shadow Clone to use as a shield from the kunai. Damnit! I was not expecting him to do that! My clone dissipates into thin air as I push forward, extending my palm out to strike. He holds up his arm to block my attack as I spin around and aim at his shoulder. He sidesteps me and I twirl on my toes and went after him again. He and I dance around each other for a few moments when I sense a shadow of chakra making its way towards us by ground. Acting like I am coming at him once more, I, instead, flip over him and run up the tree behind him for coverage. Asuma begins to glance around as his surroundings and becomes aware of the shadow crawling in his direction. He prepares to jump when the shadow suddenly stops in its tracks about ten feet away and retracts back to his owner.

Asuma chuckles. "Not only does that seem to be your limit, but I know where you are at now, Shikamaru!"

Asuma flings a kunai to Shikamaru as I see him crouch down to evade it. Asuma peers his head up at me, weaves a few hand signs, and slightly parts his lips. A small yet strong gust of wind expels out and begins to tear the tree a part. I cross my arms as leaves and branches swirl around me, some cutting me in the process. Not being able to handle the gust any longer, I just down from the tree and away from Asuma. As I land, three more illusionary clones from Sakura zoom past me. When they reached a certain length, they stop and explode again, creating another cloud of cherry blossom petals. Except, this time around, the mist is thicker since it was more clones. Not being able to see that clearly, Asuma weaves the same hand signs again to get rid of the mist but I have other plans. Being able to see better than him thanks to my Byakugan, I dash through the pink cloud and make contact with his stomach. He stumbles backwards and suddenly disappears, a log lying in his place. Crap! Asuma appears behind me and I turn around just in time to block a punch. He reaches out to hit me again, but freezes on the spot.

I sigh in relief as Shikamaru walks slowly out of the woods, trailing behind a long shadow that has connected itself to Asuma. " _Shadow Possession Jutsu_ , complete!" he casually says.

"So, that was a bluff of yours earlier," Asuma says, looking amused.

Shikamaru shakes his head, causing Asuma to do the same. "Yes and no," he replies. "While it was a bluff, that is furthest it can naturally go. However…" He jams his thumb over to the barely visible string just above him. "This little thing helped extend my shadow to reach you."

"I see that you all like to use distractions and decoys to capture your prey," Asuma points out. "Not too bad."

Shikamaru smirks. "Now, it is time for us to pass this test."

He starts moving to his left, forcing Asuma to do the same. Yes! We actually outsmarted Asuma! Asuma edges closer to the tape and raises his foot to step over it, when he suddenly stops. He glances up at Shikamaru, smirks back, and begins to effortlessly move back to the center of the square, resisting the jutsu. Damn, I forgot how weak Shikamaru is at this point compared to Asuma is right now. Shikamaru tenses up his body as he uses all his strength to pull Asuma back towards the edge, but Asuma is overpowering him.

"Plan B!" Shikamaru shouts.

I hold two fingers downward as a signal and Sakura reveals herself and runs over to join us. She instantly follows my lead as I jump towards Asuma and aim to strike the chakra pathways in his legs to prevent him from moving while Sakura wraps her arms from his waist to physically stop him. Plan B is to restrain Asuma in anyway if something were to go wrong with the Shadow Possession Jutsu. I didn't think we would have needed to phase into this plan since Plan A, to distract him, was going so well for us! My palm is only inches away from his leg when my ears hear the dreaded sound of a timer going off. What the hell?! Has it really been an half and hour already? I stop my attack on the spot as Sakura lets go of Asuma while Shikamaru regretfully releases his jutsu. Asuma pulls out his timer to stop the sound. Great, we failed the exam. Hopefully, there is some underlying meaning to the exam, such as showing great teamwork like Kakashi's for example, and he passes us.

The three of us gather in front of our sensei as he narrows his eyebrows in disappointment. "You three have failed my exam!" Asuma tells us, placing both hands on his hips. Well, all hopes down the drain. He really seems disappointed in us. But, I am not going back to that Academy! No way, no way!

"What does that mean?" I ask, trying to stay calm. "You really didn't explain into detail earlier, when I asked, what would happen if we failed."

Asuma arches an eyebrow. "I have already told you what would happen if you didn't meet my standards," he replies. "You will fail and go back to the Academy." I avert my eyes. He seems serious. Is he really going to send us back?

Shikamaru frowns. "She never mentioned anything about meeting your standards," he says. "She is only asking about if we failed. We already know what will happen if we didn't meet your standards. You told us at lunch. You never told us exactly what would happen if we didn't complete the exam within the time limit. All you said is that we would fail. That could mean anything!"

I glance over at Shikamaru and it clicks. Woah, he's sharp. "Yeah, he's right!" I add. "It could mean anything! It could mean you will allow us to take the test over, give us a different one, or be actually sending us back to the Academy!"

"How come you keep avoiding the question, sensei?" Sakura asks.

We all stare intensely at him as he stares about at us with the same intensity. Dude, I will win this staredown! My veiny eyes are not a pretty sight to look at for long periods of time. Finally, Asuma speaks. "Alright, I will answer your question this time with more detail." I hold my breath as he ponders for a moment. "While you guys did fail, the only way for you to truly fail is if you didn't meet my standards and prove your worth to me. Which doesn't mean sending you back to the Academy, it means banning you from ever becoming a Shinobi!"

All three of us widen our eyes in shock. For him to mention that, did we not succeed? Were we really that bad? I thought we did pretty well for rookies. "So, did we meet your standards or what?" Shikamaru questions.

"What do you think?" Asuma questions back. Ugh, enough with the talking in circles crap!

The three of us exchange glances, not knowing what to say at first. "I think… no. I believe we did," I tell him.

"You do, huh?" Asuma asks.

I nod as Shikamaru and Sakura give me puzzled looks. I give an encouraging one back. "First off, we worked really well as a team, despite never working together before. I don't know about the other students in our class, but we quickly figured out the main reason as to why we are put into three man squads to begin with."

"Even though it is three against one," Sakura chimes in. "You are a whole lot stronger than us, even if you were confined into a small spot. It would have been stupid for any of us to attack you head on and alone."

"That is why we got together and came up with a plan to keep you off your guard since we can't overpower you and force you out of the square," Shikamaru explains.

I smile at the both of them. I am glad they are checking on to what I am saying. We are a pretty intelligent team. Maybe that is why we ended grouped together. Asuma doesn't say anything for a moment. Then, a small smile makes an appearance on his head and he closes his eyes. "You three pass!" he informs us.

I gape at him, not sure what I just heard was real or not. "W-we passed?" I repeated.

Asuma opens his eyes and nods. "You sure did!"

"So, we really did meet your standards?" Sakura asks in disbelief.

"You actually exceeded them!" Asuma tells us, causing all three of us to break into a huge grin. That is reassuring to hear. "While you technically failed, what I was looking for this whole time is how well you worked together and if you fit into your team's role."

"What do you mean by that?" Sakura asks. Damn, Sakura! Always asking questions. Just accept that we passed and move on! Though… I kind of want to know the answer also.

"Squads are not selected at random," Asuma explains. "They are created by putting three people together who compliment each other in different ways. One team from your class specializes in tracking, for example. They would be great in search and rescue missions." I assume that is Team Eight, but what does Choji have that completes Kiba and Shino? I guess I will find out later. "This team's specializes in ambushing and creating diversions."

I know the original Team Ten was used as a diversion squad, but how in the world is this existing team a diversion one? And, an ambush team? That's new to me. "Can you explain how?" I ask. Okay, don't rag on me for asking a question when I just did the same Sakura. She questions everything like she's wanting to help clarify things for an audience of manga readers or something.

"Certainly," our sensei replies. "Sakura is skilled in genjutsu, Hinata is skilled with the Byakugan and in taijutsu, and Shikamaru has his clan's jutsu. By combining all those skills together, you guys are the best at creating diversions and ambushing enemies. Hinata can seek out an opponent with her Byakugan and you three can follow said person. Sakura can cast a genjutsu to eventfully confuse the enemy into thinking it is walking around in circles. While focusing on that, Hinata can send out a Shadow Clone to explain to the enemy that she is lost to further help out Sakura's genjutsu since he is convinced he is lost as well. While he is distracted, the outcome can go in many different directions from here. The real Hinata could jump out and block the chakra pathways or perhaps stay hidden and trap the man with her kunai and wire. Shikamaru can possibly use his Shadow Possession Jutsu to capture the man or Sakura could cast another genjutsu to confuse the man even further. This situation could become either a diversion or an opportunity for an ambush.

"Now, that is just an example. There are many tactics that we can come up with for you three to become the best. Besides being paired up because of your skills, you three were also grouped together because of your intelligent and quick thinking. Before you say anything, Shikamaru, I know you had one of the lowest scores in your class. But, that doesn't always mean anything. Being able to be on a team like this requires improvising and coming up with good strategies on the spot. It seems like one of the major things we need to work on is teaching you all how to better conceal your chakra and become lighter on your feet. It was smart of you three to send out distractions, because I could faintly sense you three even with all that commotion. But, that will improve of time."

Damn. I didn't know a lot went into planning out these teams. Our grouping makes sense now that he has explained it. He makes us sound pretty badass. At least Shikamaru is pretty good at hiding from always finding randoms spots to nap so he can help teach us. Being lazy has its benefits I suppose. Suddenly, a surge of happiness and excitement overwhelms me. We are officially Genin now! Yay! I glance over at my new official teammates and I can tell by the expressions on their faces that the realization has hit them as well.

I look back over at Asuma. "Since we are officially Genin now, what is next?" I ask.

Asuma smiles. "Tomorrow, we start our first training session and then go on our first mission!" I do not mind completing chores that are disguised as missions. It will help improve my stamina and strength, though I am not looking forward to Shikamaru complaining. However, if our first mission, any mission for that matter, is to check that damn cat, I am retiring from my Shinobi career early.

 **Author's Note: Sorry I am a day late! Due to reasons, I am going to start posting once a week now and it will be on Fridays. I have started classes and I am taking nine classes this semester plus working. So, I have my hands full. However, I will try my very best to post twice a week whenever I get a free moment. It is just my free moments are on Thursday Nights and Fridays now. I write Thursday night-Friday morning and publish in the evenings. I hope that doesn't upset to many of you! I hoped you all enjoy this chapters. OC Hinata is on Team Ten with Shikamaru and Sakura with Asuma as their leader! I wonder how that is going to go? Can she handle being around a lazy, whiny, and smart ass Shikamaru or a quick tempered Sakura almost 24/7 now? What's your opinion on the new team? I hope I explained well enough why they were grouped together. You will out why in later chapters the other teams were grouped the way they were.**


	11. Chapter 11: Rookie Life Arc

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or I would make everyone on Might Guy's team wear green jumpsuits.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Rookie Life Arc**

 **Chapter eleven**

When I came home that evening, I informed my father how my day went and which team I was on. He expressed satisfaction when I mentioned that I had passed the Genin Exam and had become an official Genin. He didn't seem to surprised by my news so it made me feel good to know that my father had faith in me of passing. However, he did not seem to thrilled about my team's arrangements. Being on the council with other Head clan members from Konohagakure, I was pretty sure he was given a heads up the day before about who was going to be on who's squad. When I asked him why I was put on a team with Sakura and Shikamaru, when it made more sense to put me on the tracking team and Shikamaru with Ino and Choji, he only said to just take the reason Asuma told me. I could tell that he was withdrawing information from me, but figured that he probably is not allowed to disclose anything out of a council meeting. I guessed that Shikaku stayed calm and quiet about the situation during the meeting while Inoichi and Chouza complained even if a little. I would not have been offended if they did because I would have completely understood. Ino-Shika-Cho is the perfect formation and have stuck together for generations. Why would they want to change that now? Is it because of me? Did I somehow do something in the past that sent little ripples into the future, altering it?

As I lay in bed now thinking about these things, I feel panic begin to fill in my chest. What if I have changed the future? Everybody being on different teams is a huge deal! Even though the Jounin leaders stayed the same for each squad number, nothing is actually the same. Because of this, what if nothing in the future is the same anymore and I have no clue what is coming? What if my team gets the Waves mission instead and we die because we weren't compatible for it like the original Team Seven? What if Sasuke never gets his Sharingan? I guess that could prevent Orochimaru from coming after him, or not. But, then he would end up wanting to seek power from somewhere because he would see Naruto getting stronger. What if Sakura never gets the urge to better herself because she feels weak compared to her teammates and gets trained by Tsunade? She becomes very important later on because of her medical abilities and monstrous strength. There is just too much what if questions for me to keep listing and the panic settling inside of me right now will just expand if I keep on thinking about it.

Okay, take a deep breathe. Calm down. Let's think of some positives. Being on team with Asuma, Shikamaru, and Sakura can be a blessing in disguise. Maybe we end up saving Asuma's live in the future. Maybe I can continue to push Sakura to become a strong kunoichi and depend less on other people during battles. Maybe Shikamaru can teach us to sharpen our minds to quickly come with successful tactics when needed. I snort and shake my head. Nah, that is thinking too positive. Shikamaru is not motivated enough this early on to teach anybody anything. Okay, back to thinking of more realistic objectives. Training as an ambush and diversion squad can possibly help us out for the future, especially taking on Akatsuki members. A major part of being a Shinobi is blending into an environment and being able to go undetected. If we can learn how to effortlessly achieve that, and learn proper ambushing tactics, we can take on most opponents swiftly. Heck, if we are good enough, we could even become Anbu! Just kidding. I would not survive.

I attempt to ease my mind and drift off to sleep, but it is too restless. I toss and turn for a few minutes before sitting up in frustration. I need to let off some steam to stop myself from worrying and overthinking things. I will never accomplish anything if I keep doing either or. I believe a little sneaking out and training is the remedy to my problems right now. I change out of my pajamas and into my usual training outfit. I silently slid open my window, grabbed a blanket, and crawl out, landing on the ground a few feet below. My room faces the wall that is the furthest away from the front gate. We always have two guards positioned at the gate and they rotate shifts with other men every few hours. They used to only watch the gate during the day, but that changed after I was kidnapped when I was three. They only have to guard the front gate because their Byakugan stays active at all times, always surveying the compound.

Kō is one of the guards at this time of night and always turns a blind eye when I sneak out to train. He must have convinced the other guard awhile back to ignore me as well because no one has ever confronted me. Kō did once when I decided to sneak out for the first time a few months ago. After I informed him on what I was doing, he allowed me to go and promised to not tell my father. I was shocked when he had told me that, but he told me it was because he knows I am trying to improve myself to impress my father and to become stronger for my clan. Over the years, he has actually crawled out of my father's ass and into mine. He knows how strict and harsh my father can be and has voiced his displeasure to me about it. He always tells me that he knows how kind and caring of others I am and how he believes I can change the clan one day, for the better, when I become the leader. After he expressed such thoughts to me, I grew to like the guy better than I did when I was a child. I am glad I am not the only Main House member that thinks our clan's traditions are screwed up.

After making sure no one is straying around, I hop over the wall and make my way towards the Third Training Ground. Maybe I am being bias, or since I have not explored all fifty or so Grounds yet, but I think that the Third Training Ground is the best place for a Shinobi to train. It has a clearing, three stumps to beat the shit out of, many trees, and a small pond. Tonight, the pond is going to be my best friend. When I arrive, I approach the pond and activate my Byakugan. I can not sense anyone so I deactivate my Byakugan and begin stripping off my clothes to prevent them from getting wet. Now, it may seem like that I am just copying original Hinata's techniques: _Eight Trigrams: Thirty-Two Palms_ and _Protective Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms_. However, when the Gentle Fist is one of the the hardest taijutsu styles to learn, and when you are born with a weak ass awkward body that does not flow well to its movements, one must take the longer path and revamp the style to suit their needs. After going through hell to achieve the Thirty-Two Palms, I instantly began developing the Protective Eight Trigrams. Nobody knows that I am out here creating a new technique. Even though Neji and Kō know that I sneak to train most nights, they do not know the details of my training. Neji has been helping me out when it comes to modifying the Gentle Fist fighting style to compliment my body, but I been mainly practicing alone. I have not hung out with Neji in a long time, other than short greetings as we pass by one another when he heads off for a mission or to train with Team Guy. I really miss him and would like to tell him about my new team, but now is not the time to be thinking about my older cousin.

I neatly fold my clothes and set them on the grass. I walk over to the pond and send spurts of chakra to my feet. I place both feet on top of the water, cringing slightly at the sudden chillness of it, and glide towards the center. I kneel down on the surface of the water, lift up two fingers, and begin to concentrate my chakra outwards. Water vortexes form around me as I continue concentrate. When I open my eyes, I raise both my arms up and streams of water shot upwards. I spin my body and start to dance around the pond, water following my movements and enveloping my figure. When I feel that I am total control of the water, I exert a thin, sharp blade of chakra from my tenketsu in my palms and begin to slice up the floating water, exploding into many water droplets. As I continue to rotate my hands around and twirl on my toes, the water droplets glisten beautifully from the moonlight above as they rain down around me.

After a few minutes of cutting up water, I decide to change gears and switch to a more defensive approach. I dissolve the small chakra blade and allow for the water droplets to fall into the pond. I lift two fingers once more and took more time to concentrate my chakra this time around. What I am about to do this time takes more chakra and control so the extra moments are required. Water shot up around me again as I slowly start moving my hands around in a circular motion. The water flows gracefully around in the air as I begin to create larger, arc-shaped chakra blades. Blue chakra lines mixed into the water and begin to surround me until I am trapped in an aquatic chakra-based sphere. I pick up the speed and move my hands around faster, with precise control, thickening the sphere. With a wave of my hand, I push the protective chakra wall outwards causing water to fling around sparkle around me. The waves from the pond ripple from the aftershock of my technique as I kneel back onto the water to catch my breathe.

While I have grasped the basics of the _Protective Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms,_ I can only keep up the chakra blades for so long before I grow tired. The thin ones are easier for me to use, but it gets draining when I create my defensive sphere with larger and stronger chakra blades and have to concentrate and be precise as I make perfect continuous chakra lines around me. This technique is difficult learn, especially since I am creating it myself without any guidance from anyone else. However, it is pretty badass and I cannot wait to use it in battle when I become better at it. Practicing this has been a really good method to relax my mind from my worries and the future and just focus on myself and this technique. For now, I only use it strictly for training purposes until I have mastered it.

After resting, I hold up two fingers and begin to repeat the same process all over again.

* * *

"Is it really necessary to be up this early?' Shikamaru complains as he yawns and rubs one eyes.

"It is 9:00am, Shikamaru," Sakura says, eyeballing him.

"And?" Shikamaru asks, shoving his hands in his pockets. Sakura sighs in response as I sweatdrop. Sheesh, he is going to get annoying if I have to up with that behavior every morning.

Asuma chuckles. "We have a mission to complete this afternoon so that is why we are training now."

"What of mission are we going on?" I ask, crossing my fingers behind my back. Please don't it involve a cat!

"You will be babysitting triplets for a client while they run some errands, pick weeds out of a garden, and patch up a roof," Asuma casually replies.

I grin. Yes! I do not have to deal with the spawn of Satan today! I glance over and notice that Sakura and Shikamaru are not as thrilled as I am. "Those sound more like chores than a mission," Sakura points out.

"Great, hard labor," Shikamaru grunts.

"All Shinobi start out with missions like these," Asuma explains, popping a toothpick in his mouth. "I did. D-rank missions like this one are set up so you rookies get the chance to contribute to the village. You get to connect with civilians and remind them why they live in a Shinobi village; for safety. They can always depend on us for anything, even if it means doing something as simple as babysitting. Many civilians get the idea that we are a bunch of adrenaline junkies with magical powers who only hide and kill every other all day. So, missions like these help build that trust." I can see how some civilians mistake chakra as some kind of magical source. To them, randomly expelling fire out of one's mouth is an exhilarating yet frightening sight. "These missions are also designed to help you guys build up your fatigue, strength, stamina, and teamwork."

While I want to believe the bullshit that Asuma is spewing to us, I know this is just grunt work. It is like starting a new job. The newbie's job requirements is to do crappy work until they become more experienced and move up in the ranks. You would think this would be common knowledge, but everybody in this universe likes to keep everything a damn secret for some reason. If Genin are alerted ahead of time about the duties of a D-rank mission, it would lower the chances of people, like Naruto and Kiba, from throwing a hissy fit.

"What are we doing this morning?" I ask, diverting the conversation elsewhere. I do not want my teammates to start whining and make Asuma lecture us some more.

"I was thinking we can start with a few workouts to wake your bodies up," Asuma begins. "You know, some laps and push ups or something. After an hour or so of that, we can move on to group training. This will include coming up with formations, chakra control, weapons, jutsus, etc. Basically anything that I think will strengthen your teamwork. Finally, the last part will be specialized training. I will create two Shadow Clones and the three of us will train you each individually. This is so we can improve in areas you are slacking in and enhance skills you already have. We will have the same regime every morning at the same time unless I say otherwise. After training, I will either dismiss you for the day or send us off on a mission."

I nod. "That sounds fine to me," I tell him. I am used to strict and difficult routines, so this should be a piece of cake. "I especially like that we get specialized one-on-one time with you."

"While you three are on a squad and teamwork is important, that itself is not going to help you grow individually as a Shinobi," Asuma says. "All of you have different abilities and excel and struggle in various areas. It would be impossible to train you all 100% the same way. I mean, I guess I could. But, I prefer to be unpredictable."

"The same tedious schedule everyday? This is already getting so troublesome," Shikamaru groans.

Asuma runs a hand through his hair. "I can already tell you're going to be the one that gives me a hard time, slacker." He looks over at Sakura. "You're going to be the loudmouth." Sakura narrows her eyebrows. He glances over at me. "And, you're either going to be the know-it-all or the suck up."

Blunt much? "Wow, I get two possible nicknames. I feel special," I grumble, rolling my eyes. I usually keep my sarcastic comments to myself, but I am not suck up!

Shikamaru shrugs. "I know what I am so the nickname doesn't bother me."

Sakura remains silent, but I can telling she is fuming inside with her Inner Sakura and mentally punching Asuma in the face. I guess you can say I have an Inner Hinata with my internal cursing and sarcastic remarks. They should totally be best friends!

"We wasted enough time already," Asuma tells us as he slings off the backpack he had on and begins rummaging through it. He pulls out three sets of weights and hands them to us. "Here. Put these on."

"Are you sure it is a good idea to wear these while we train?" Sakura asks as she examines the weights. "Aren't they going to slow us down?" Okay, Sakura. You are smarter than this. These weights are only ten pounds a piece. They are not that heavy. You're just trying to get out of breaking a sweat.

"They are meant to help increase your speed," Asuma explains to us as we wrap the weights around our ankles. I struggle to lift up a leg. Maybe Sakura has a point to be worried then. The three of us aren't the strongest people around and if he is expecting us to run laps in these, I am dead.

"This is such a drag," Shikamaru says as he adjusts his weights to fit properly.

Asuma smirks. "I thought you would be the one who gets the most excited about this."

Shikamaru gives him a baffled expression. "What in the world made you think that?"

"I know how you like to run away to avoid things you don't want to do," Asuma says, shrugging. "Well, like I said before, these weights are going to help improve your speed so you can run away quicker from anything you find 'troublesome'. Hey, don't give me that look. I'm just making sure you get in a longer nap here and there. That's all!"

Shikamaru gives him a blank stare as I cover my mouth to prevent a giggle from slipping out. Okay, I do not mind Asuma's bluntness now if it meant I get to see Shikamaru get roasted every now and then. Fortunately, Shikamaru is a good sport about the joke. He drops his blank stare and rolls his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever." He is trying his best to hide it, but I can tell that he is slightly amused.

Asuma spits the toothpick out of his mouth. "Alright, let's get started!"

Remember when I said earlier that this training regime was going to be a walk in the park for me? Yeah, excuse that. I do not know what I was talking about back then. We start out with some stretches. As I expected, running laps around the field became my own personal hell as I begin to wheeze after only the fifth lap out of forty. Forty laps! Who in the world starts out freshly new Genin with forty laps?! This crazy ass sensei, that's who! I have never been much of a runner so this is not fun for me right now. After laps, we completed a series of pushups, situps, pullups, and jumping jacks. By the time we are done with our warm up, I really want to pull what Shikamaru is doing right now and take a nap. I lean back against the tree as I hear my muscles scream in pain. We haven't even done half our training yet! We still have to two more parts to go! God, I am going to be so sore tomorrow.

After fifteen minutes, Asuma claps his hands together. "Breaktime is over!" he barks. "It is time for some group training!" Sakura grunts as she forces herself up while I drag a sleepy Shikamaru over to our squad leader. "Today, we are going to work on formations. Since our specialty is in ambushing and creating diversions, it is important that we have multiple formations already planned for almost any situation. Our first formation we are going to create is called "Formation A" and it is going to be used in situation where you are ambushing an enemy from an offensive approach. While I already have something in mind, I would like to see what you three can come up with within the next two minutes."

I arch an eyebrow. "Why do we only have two minutes?" I ask. "We cannot surely come up with a good enough plan in that short amount of time."

"On a mission, there will be times where you will have to improvise and come up with a plan on the spot," Asuma explains. "This is the hypothetical situation I am putting you in right now. Like I just said, I already have a formation in mind. But, I want to see what you can do."

"What do we know about our hypothetical enemy?" Shikamaru asks.

Asuma rubs his chin, thinking for a moment. "Absolutely nothing except the fact that he is a criminal that you three stumbled across." Hence why we have to improv.

He steps back, giving us the floor. My teammates and I exchange glances. "The enemy is nearby," I tell them. "How do we attack?" Yes, I know I am not being useful right now. I suck at making up detailed plans on the fly.

"Since we do not know nothing about his background and skills, we need to approach quietly and cautiously," Sakura suggests. "But, we also need to be swift. He may have already sensed our presence."

"Sakura, use your _Genjutsu:Mist_ to create as many illusionary clones as you can so they will momentarily blur his vision when they explode," Shikamaru orders while yawning. He glances over at me. "While he is blinded, you need to surround him with your Shadow Clones and block some of his chakra pathways to paralyze him. I will hit him with my _Shadow Possession Jutsu_ to increase the chances even more of capturing him and prevent him from moving." How can he come up with a plan like that while he is yawning and half-awake? This kid, no matter how lazy and slightly irritating, never ceases to amaze me.

We all nod towards each other that we understood the plan, then turn towards Asuma. "How was that?" Sakura asks, smiling. She seems confident in the plan Shikamaru just created.

Asuma didn't seem impress. "That was okay, for starters. Thought, I noticed some flaws," he tells us. "First, what would you have done, Sakura, if the enemy saw through your genjutsu and attacked? Hinata, what would you have done if the enemy suddenly used a _Substitution Jutsu_ to avoid being struck by you? While Sakura and Hinata had some protection from their clones, what would you have done, Shikamaru, if the opponent found you and attacked? You were left wide open."

Shikamaru frowns. I can tell he isn't used to his tactics being broken down in a negative manner. "You only gave us just two minutes to come up with a plan. That was the best I could come up with in a short time span like that."

"Which allows me to bring up this matter," Asuma says, ignoring Shikamaru's excuses and focuses his attention on us girls. "Shikamaru shouldn't feel like he has to be the one to alway come up with the plans. Granted he is the best strategist out of the three, you shouldn't always rely on him. What if he gets knocked out or something? What would you two do then?"

Damn, he's not holding back. Though, Asuma is right. I relied on Shikamaru yesterday, and just now, to come up with a strategy for us. While he may not mind and will do the planning most of the time anyways, Sakura and I have to sharpen up on my critical thinking skills incase we get into a worse case scenario without his guidance. Asuma gives us a small smile to lighten the dampened mood. "With practice and time, you will all be able to think of more elaborate and futile plans on the spot," he tells us. "I just wanted to see how you were going to do. I promise that you will not have to be doing anything like that anytime soon."

I sigh in relief. Good. That is reassuring to hear.

We spend the next twenty minutes just listening to the details from Asuma about Formation A before we just into our individual training with him. As promised, he creates two Shadow Clones and spreads us out. Sakura and I end up with a Shadow Clone while Shikamaru ends up with the real Asuma. I am not surprised though. I think he is already growing to be Asuma's favorite. For what reason? I have no clue.

"According to your file, you are better at evading and defending yourself than going on the offensive," Asuma tells me.

They have files on us? I guess I should expect that. I nod. "While I am skilled in taijutsu, I am not all that confident in it. I work at it a lot in my spare time." Which is why I have been creating my own styles and moves. While I did learn the _Eight Trigrams: Thirty-Two Palms_ , I perform it in my own way instead of the traditional way.

"I'm not really worried about your taijutsu," Asuma admits. "You just continue to practice that on your own accord. What I want to focus on is improving your advantages."

"What do you have in mind?" I question.

"How do you feel about the _Substitution Jutsu_?" he asks me.

I shrug. "I mean, it is my favorite jutsu over the ones that we were taught at the Academy." Where is he going with this?

Asuma smiles. "You are going to become a master at it."

I cock my head to one side. "Become a master of it?" Stupid response. I sound like Sakura right now, repeating everything back to my sensei.

"Yes, like I just said," Asuma says as my face grows slightly red from embarrassment. "You are quick and light on your feet, you have great reflexes and flexibility, and you can perform _Shadow Clone Jutsu._ Add the _Substitution Jutsu_ to the mix and you will become almost untouchable in battle. After you have been trained, of course."

Now, that's intriguing. I've never thought about that before. It would be pretty cool to be referred to as "Konoha's Most Untouchable Shinobi!" Or, now that I think about it, some other title. I can see people making so many inappropriate jokes if I was ever called that.

"How do I master the _Substitution Jutsu_?" I ask. "Are you wanting me to be able to use it with a single hand seal or something?"

Asuma nods. "That is one of the reasonings. It takes five hand seals just to use the jutsu once. A lot of things can happen in those seconds. I would like for you to be able to perform it with a flick of a finger. You're chakra control is excellent so I do not think you will have any problems with that. I would also like for you to practice changing positions with other objects besides blocks of wood."

"I have to be able to switch with something similar to my size," I say. "So, like a straw dummy?"

"I mean, if you have one on hand," Asuma replies, shrugging. "Or other things in nature. Get creative." Get creative? You're the one training me. Tell me how I can get creative! Asuma pulls out a handful of shurikens. "I am going to throw these at you one by one. To avoid getting struck, I want you to use the _Substitution Jutsu_ until you get tired. That way, we can see what your limit it."

Before I can react, he flicks his hand causing a shurikens to hurl towards me. I barely dodge it in time as I spin out of the way. I give him a crazy look. Is he trying to kill me? "Um, I was not it expecting that," I tell him.

Asuma arches an eyebrow. "Your enemy is not going to tell you when they are going to attack." Technically, they do since we all have the urge to yell out the names of our jutsus before performing them.

He throws two more shurikens as I quickly weave the correct hand signs and escape to a different spot a few feet away. Asuma gives me no time to rest as he continues to toss his weapons at me causing me to evade each time with a log. After seven contentious times of using the technique, I am exhausted. It takes a lot of chakra and stamina to use such a jutsu many times in a row.

"Not bad," Asuma tells me as I stop to catch my breathe. "Most rookies can only use the _Substitution Jutsus_ three or four times in a row before getting tired."

Hey! I got a 'not bad' from Asuma! I will accept that. He pulls out some kunai knives this time. "Alright, let's go once more."

The rest of our training went pretty well. Asuma has Sakura training to make her reflexes faster since they suck, our sensei's words, and she is a slow mover. Shikamaru is working on his taijutsu because his grades in that field were one of the worst in our graduating class. Asuma even tells him that the girl's skills in taijutsu on his team is better than his! I decide to take that as a compliment over an insult because I know Asuma is only saying as a motivator to get Shikamaru's ass going. However, unlike me, Sakura is not as accepting towards the sexist comment as I am. After four hours total, training is over for the day. We sit down to rest and eat our packed lunches that we brought with us before heading off to our first mission.

"For a mission, you will usually report to the Missions Desk and receive a mission from there," Asuma explains to us as we head towards one of our client's house to babysitting their triplets. "Since this is your first mission, I had went ahead and picked it up this morning before meeting you three for training. For the future, we will be heading to the Missions Deal after our morning regime. Since you three are still rookies, we will be going on D-rank missions twice a week until I say otherwise. Each D-rank mission will contain three to six objectives that we have to complete."

"Objectives? I think you mean chores," Shikamaru argues.

Sakura sighs in annoyance. "Just drop it already, Shikamaru! Complaining isn't going to solve anything."

Shikamaru shrugs. "I don't know. It has always helped me out."

"Our first objective is only babysitting some toddlers," I say, trying to reassure him. "How hard can that be?"

The answer is: very. As soon as the mother left to run her errands, all hell breaks loose. The triplets, all boys and _all_ identical, were nothing but complete brats. They would not listen to us and kept on running around the house as we chase tirelessly after them. Asuma is no help out all as he chills outside on the patio, smoking a cigarette and reading a newspaper. Even though these kind of missions are more meant for us and to build our skills and experiences, Asuma still could've lend us a hand. He would look up from time to time and smirk at our misery. Finally, Shikamaru gets tired of the triplets' bullshit and used _Shadow Possession Jutsu_ on them to control them. By doing this, we quickly force lunch down their throats and then send them off for a nap. While they were napping, we quickly tidy up the house before their mother arrives home. She is surprised that her sons were actually asleep when she came back and decides to make us a reoccurring babysitter for them! Great. I would rather have the cat mission.

Our next objective is to pull weeds. This one is not as bad as babysitting. I am used to pulling weeds anyways since Hanabi and I garden together back at the compound. One of Hanabi's hobbies is to garden and I participate with her in this activity sometimes for some sister bonding moments.

Things became bad again when we went off to our final objective: to patch up a roof. None of us have ever patched up a damn roof before we were clueless as to how. After trying to figure out how, we decide to beg and plead to Asuma to help us out. After some time, he finally gives in and does so. I think the only reason he helped us out is so he can go ahead and go home already since dusk is already settling.

After we are done for the day, I trudge home with dirt in my hair, food on my clothes, and with sore muscles. All I want to do right now is take a shower and go to sleep. Screw dinner. I hope my father is not expecting me because I am heading straight to the showers when I get home. When I arrive, I am walking across the courtyard that lies in between the Main courtyard and the Branch courtyard. As I walk through, I notice Neji training in his courtyard out of the comer of my eyes. Despite being tired as shit, I decide to make my way over towards and chat for a minute since I have not in a couple of weeks.

"Neji-nii-san!" I call out.

Neji drops out of his fighting stance and gives me a small smile. "Good evening, Hinata-chan." He takes one look at my disgusting state and grimaces. "You look terrible."

I roll my eyes. "Gee, you really know how to make a girl feel beautiful."

Neji's cheeks flush red. "I-I didn't mean it like that," he stammers. "It is just-"

I wave my hand. "I am just teasing with you," I tell him.

Neji sighed. "I hate when you do that."

I just shrug and ignore his whining. "I haven't spoke to you much lately. But, I wanted to tell you that I made Genin and I have my own team now!"

Neji smiles again. "That is great, Hinata-chan. I would have been shocked if you didn't pass the Genin Exam."

"Speaking of the Genin Exam, what was yours like?" I ask, suddenly curious.

I raise an eyebrow in confusion as Neji turns pale. "D-don't ever ask me about that again."

I giggle. "Was it that traumatizing?" I know Guy is… Well special in his own way. I wonder what he made Neji go through that spooks him out so badly.

Neji scowls and looks again. "Humph. Let's just say, it involved a race on our hands." Wow, he's so serious. It must've of been a bad experience for him.

I nod in understanding. "I'm so sorry," I tell him, giving him sympathetic stare. Then, I ruin the moment by snorting, breaking my mask, and bursting into a fit of laughter. Neji just gives me an evil glare as I quickly stop laughing for his benefit. We talk for a couple more minutes before I took myself on a date and took a long ass shower and instantly hit the bed up afterwards.

* * *

After training the next day, which we did the exact same things as yesterday, we have the rest of the day off since we do not have any missions scheduled. Since I have not seen Naruto and Sasuke in a few days, basically since we found out our teams, I decide to search for them and hang out for awhile. Right now, it is around noon. That means Naruto should be hungry and seeking out food that this very moment. And I am pretty sure I know where to find him. I just hope he decided to drag along "teme". I was right. Sitting at stool, in his favorite ramen shack, is my blonde-headed best friend. He didn't have Sasuke with him, but Naruto is good enough for me right now!

"Naruto-kun!" I greet as I climb up on the seat next to his.

"Oh, Hinata-chan!" Naruto says as he swallows a mouthful of ramen. "What are you doing here?"

"I have been looking for you, duh," I tell him. "I haven't seen you in a couple of days! Do you like your new team? How is your sensei? Where's Sasuke-kun?"

Naruto gives me a crazy look. "Sheesh! Calm down with the questions! What's wrong with you?"

I smile. "I'm merely copying your reactions when you get excited and want to know about something."

"I don't act like that!" Naruto exclaims. "Do I?"

I wave my hand. "Nevermind that! Just answer my questions."

Naruto brightens up as he launches into his tale. "My team is so badass! Kakashi-sensei is okay I guess though he is super weird. All he likes to do is read some stupid book and he is always late! And he always creates these lame excuses like 'Oh, I'm sorry. I lost my way on the path of life.' It doesn't make any sense!" I giggle. That is something Kakashi would come up with. "I like Sasuke being on my team. It just helps prove even more on how much of a better Shinobi I am than him!" I sweatdrop as he says that. "But, Ino can get on my nerves. I don't know what her problem is sometimes! I never understand her mood swings. One thing can make her happy; another thing can set her off. She's a really scary person." He shivers as he says that.

"She is… one of a kind," I reply, trying to choose my words carefully. Even though Naruto doesn't mean to, sometimes he says the first thing that pops into his mind and I do not want to have Ino angry with me if I say something bad about her and he accidently tell her.

"Tell me about it," Naruto says, crossing his arms. "I invited everyone to eat here with me before we go on our first mission, but Sasuke wanted to eat alone and Ino decided to chase after him. She is so obsessed with him! All she talks about is him! Sasuke! Sasuke! Sasuke! What is so great about Sasuke? I just don't see it. Anyways, Kakashi-sensei told me that he has some business to take care of, but I think he is really hiding somewhere and reading that book. I bet he will make us wait again after this when we meet."

"Your sensei sounds pretty cool," I tell him. "I would love to meet him sometime." I would like to make myself acquainted with Kakashi so I can, maybe, have him train me later on down the road. Though, that plan is still under construction.

Naruto shakes his head. "Ehhh, he's not that great," he tells me. "I mean, he even fell for one of my pranks! He was late picking us up, after all the other teams had left, so I left an eraser on top of the door with some chalk dust in it. When he opened the door, the easter landed on top of his head! Never expected it!"

I giggle. "I bet he totally hated you after that," I say on purpose.

Naruto widened his eyes and gives me a strange look. "Weird," he says back. "He actually did say that his first impression of us is that he hated us." I smirk. Oh, I know that.

I shrug. "How did your Genin Exam go?" I ask.

Naruto raises his eyebrows. "Oh, so you had one, too?" I nod. "It went okay. I mean, at first we were not doing so well. The goal was to capture two bells. If one of us didn't have a bell by a certain time, that person would fail and be sent back to the Academy. I thought I could take Kakashi-sensei by myself so I attacked him head on. That… didn't turn out so good." He cringes. I bet he is thinking about the _Thousand Years of Death._ Psssh, secret technique my ass. "Then, Sasuke gives away his hiding spot by attacking from a tree. The shurikens hit sensei, but then he goes up in smoke like poof! Finally, Ino throws a smoke bomb be coming out and dragged us to her hiding spot. She yelled at us to stop acting like idiots and to work as a team." I give Naruto a "yeah right" stare. He nervously laughs. "Uh, I mean she said that to me while she only suggests nicely to Sasuke that we all work together."

I nod in approval. "Much better."

"That is when I realized that Ino is super smart and actually knows her stuff!" Naruto continues, waving his arms around. "She tells us how Shinobi usually work in three man squads anyways on missions so it wouldn't make any sense to fail just one of us. Plus, she tells us the test was designed to pit us against each other when we should be teaming up to overthrow Kakashi-sensei."

Ino came up with that on her own? Is she actually a secret reborn Naruto fan like I am? Nah, just kidding. Her father was on the Ino-Shika-Cho team, so that is how she probably knows about the rules of a three man team. Since she should have been on this generation's Ino-Shika-Cho squad, she probably has been practicing teamwork tactics most of her life with her father.

"So, she comes up with this plans to retrieve the bells. It went really well until Kakashi-sensei tricked us and jumped away from us. By then, the timer went off and well thought we all had failed. But, he surprised us and said that the goal of this test was to see how well we worked together. Even though I can't stand her sometimes, I have to admit that Ino helped us pass."

I'm pretty sure they would have passed anyways, but whatever. She did save Naruto from stealing the lunches early and kept him from being tied up. Though, he will never know that and neither will she. Now that I think about it, it makes some sense for her to be on a team with Naruto and Kakashi. Since I encouraged Sakura to back off of Sasuke and focus on herself and her training, Ino took her "spot" and continued to fangirl over Sasuke while yelling at Naruto for being an "idiot" at times... just like the original Sakura did. Also, like Sakura, Ino is very intelligent and ranked second in our class and was Top Kunoichi of the Year. I do not know how she pulled that off, but I probably had something to do with that because of my influence on Sakura. While she can teach Sasuke about teamwork, she is also compatible with Naruto, personality wise. They are both hot-headed, loud, outgoing, attention seekers, and the list goes on for miles.

I shake my thoughts away and grin. "I am glad you all passed!" I tell him as Naruto cheers and excitedly pumps his fits in the air.

* * *

As Shikamaru would say, this next month was a drag. Nothing exciting happened as we repeated the same routine everyday. Since we are just starting off, we get two days a week off. On my days off, I divide my time up between training on my own, hanging out with my friends and sister, and studying. For the last few months, I have been reading up on different topics such as nature chakra and the Byakugan. For nature chakra, I did the little test with the piece of paper that determines what your affinity is. I figured out that my affinities were the elements of Fire and Lightning. While I am not going to practice any jutsus related to those elements anytime soon, it is good to have knowledge on the topic for when the time comes. I have been studying the Byakugan because I believe that, like the Sharingan, there are upgrades to the dōjutsu. excluding the Tenseigan. Though, it would be cool to be able to activate the Tenseigan without obtaining a billion Byakugan eyes or having Ōtsutsuki chakra flowing through me. Even though there isn't any proof just yet to back up my theory, I will not give up searching. The Sharingan cannot be the only dōjutsu with cool ass powers. What if I want to do things like blow up chakra pathways with my eyes instead of just being able to view them? Okay, that would actually be both scary and awesome at the same time.

One day, things grow exciting as I bump into Naruto and Sasuke while I am heading to the Training Grounds to meet Team Ten. "Hi, guys!" I greet as I notice them.

"Hi, Hinata-chan!" Naruto greets as Sasuke nods.

I notice they are both wearing backpacks. "Where are you two going?" I ask. If they are going on an adventure without me, I am going to be pissed! We are the unofficial Three Amigos!

Naruto opens his mouth to speak, but Sasuke ignores him my jabbing his thumb over to his face. "Dobe here throw a tantrum and now we are about to embark on a C-rank escort mission," Sasuke explains.

I widen my eyes. They are going to the Land of Waves already?! We have only been Genin for a month! I never realized they received that mission so fast! Ughhh, I know they will be fine, but I am still going to worry about them like crazy. Naruto breaks my thoughts as I watch him shove Sasuke's thumb away. "I did not throw a tantrum!" he hollars. "I just simply told the Old Man that I am to good of a Shinobi to keep going on D-ranked missions."

Sasuke grunts. "Yeah, simply."

Naruto crosses his arms. "He obviously agreed with me since he gave us this mission!"

"Or so he can shut you up and not deal with you anymore," Sasuke says.

Naruto is about to argue back, but I quickly interrupt. "Just be careful," I tell them, giving them both a serious look. "I want you two to come back safe and sound."

They dropped their silly moods and Naruto raises his eyebrows as Sasuke narrows his in concern. "It is just an escort mission," Sasuke reassure me. "You do not have to worry about us."

Naruto nods. "Don't look at us like that or you're going to worry me instead."

Crap. I didn't realize that my expression and words were that intense. I soften up my features and wave my hands. "I'm sorry," I tell him. "I just overreacted for a moment. I know this is your first time out of the village so I am just fretting too much. I bet you will have an exciting time and see a lot of neat things! I am expecting to hear all about it when you two get back."

Naruto grins back at me and sticks his thumb out. "Are you sure about that? This is mission is going to be so successful that you are going to be so jealous when I tell you about it!"

I playfully roll my eyes. "In your dreams, Naruto-kun."

Sasuke glances over at Naruto. "We need to go now or we will be late," he tells him.

Naruto shakes his head. "I doubt that. I bet Kakashi-sensei is going to be three hours late!" He looks over at me and wavs. "See you in a couple of weeks, Hinata-chan!" He walks off as Sasuke follows him.

Before Sasuke fully passes me, he quickly grabs my hand and gives me a reassuring squeeze. "I promise you we will be fine," he says as I look over at him. He gives me his trademark smile. "So, stop worrying."

If Sasuke is telling me not to worry, then I will listen and believe him. That is how our relationship goes. He is right, most of the time, about these things anyways. I nod and give me a squeeze back. "Good luck," I tell him as he let's go of me and walks off.

I stare at my two best friend's back for a few more seconds before turning back around and head towards my destination. After a few minutes, envy suddenly hits me like a brick wall. I want to go on a C-rank mission! I am tired of these D-rank missions! I want to leave this village and explore beyond the walls! This past month has been boring as hell and I need some excitement in my life. When I arrive at the Training Grounds, we go through our routine as usual before heading off to the Missions Desk. On our way there, Shikamaru decides to get into my head.

"What's wrong?" he asks me. He slows down to match the slow pace I am going at today, allowing Asuma and Sakura to go on ahead.

I shake my head. "Nothing is wrong," I lied. "I am just lost in my thoughts. Oh, look how nice that cloud is!" I look up at the sky and pointed upwards.

Shikamaru rolls his eyes. "Distracting me like that isn't going to work," he tells me as I sigh. It didn't hurt to try. "All morning, you have been spacy when you are the one always working the hardest out of the three of us."

I am about to tell another small fib before I stop myself and smile. "You will find out why I have been acting odd in a few minutes," I admit to him.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Should I be concerned?"

I shake my head. "No! It isn't like I'm going to blow something up."

"I never said that you were," Shikamaru says, giving me a suspicious look.

I roll my eyes. "Oh, don't start with me and act like I am implying something. It is something innocent. I promise!"

"Whatever," he replies as he puts his hands in his pockets.

When we arrive at the Missions Desk, the Third Hokage and Iruka greets us with a smile. "Good morning, Team Ten!" Iruka says. "Ready to go on another mission today? I am happy to see that your all are taking your missions so seriously. Your team has been the one that receives the best feedback out of the other two teams." Huh, really? That's great to hear! Confidence booster!

"Thank you," I tell him. I take a step forward and take a deep breathe. Okay, just ask. The worse he can do is say no. "May I request that our team takes on a C-rank mission this time?"

Sakura gasps as Shikamaru shifts his eyes over to me. "Are you serious?" he asks. "This was what you've been thinking about?"

I ignore and keep my focus on Iruke and the Hokage. "You just said yourself, Iruka-sensei, that our team gets the best feedback out of anyone," I press on. "That should be proof that we have an excellent record of being successful in our missions while pleasing the client. A C-rank mission will not be any different."

The Hokage has an amused expression on his face while Iruka appears torn. I know that he knows that we are more than capable enough to handle a C-rank mission, as long as it doesn't turn into an A-rank one like Naruto's will. The Rookie Nine is the most talented group of Genin that the village has seen in the last few years, but I know he is worried about if we are experienced and mature enough yet to handle one. Skills and power aren't everything.

"I understand where you are coming from, Hinata," Iruka finally says. "I do not disagree with you, but are you sure your team is ready for one? There is a huge difference between a D-rank and a C-rank mission. While you may be ready, are the rest of your teammates in the same boat as you?" See, this is why I do not plan things. I just assumed they were ready since I believe they are. I didn't even bother to ask them. Another stupid move by me.

I look back at my teammates. "What do you guys think? I do not want you to feel pressured if you are not ready," I tell them. I look up at my sensei. "Asuma? What are you thinking?"

They is some silence before Shikamaru speaks. "I guess I am okay with it," he tells everyone, lazily shrugging his shoulders. "It is just going to be a lot more work for me, though."

Sakura appears concerned, but she gives up a small smile. "I'm fine with it, too," she says. "That is, if Asuma-sensei is okay with it."

Asuma looks at us and smirks. "I do not see why not."

I resist the urge to jump for joy. Great! C-rank mission here we come! Iruka smiles and looks over at the Third. "There must be something in the water today," he says to him. "First Naruto and now Hinata."

The Third chuckles. "We might as well go ahead and give Team Eight a C-rank mission before we hear it from Kiba." Ugh, do not put me in the same category as those two loud-mouths. At least I asked with respect and not by pouting.

"What are the details of our mission?" Asuma asks.

Iruka shuffles through some files before finding the correct one and opening it. "Team Ten, if you choose to accept, is going to be escorting two clients to Yugakure no Stao in Yu no Kuni. They came to Konohagakure for a vacation. One of the clients is a older male named Takara Norio and the other client is his young daughter, Takara Michi. It typically takes about two days for a Shinobi to reach Yugakure. Since you will be going at a civilian's pace, it will take about five days to get there, six max, so pack accordingly."

So, we are going to the Village Hidden in Hot Water. It is a village that used to be Shinobi based before they converted over to a tourist village. Though, they are considered a hidden village because they still have a handful of Shinobi running around to protect the village since it gets so much visitors every year because of their hot springs. I call going to one when we arrive!

Asuma looks down at the three of us and then back at Iruka, nodding. "Team Ten accepts the mission!"

 **Author's Note: Team Ten is going on their first C-rank mission thanks to Hinata being a little jelly of her best friends. I wonder how this is going to go! I have had mixed reactions about Team Ten, but they are awesome. I promise! Unless, you can already see that. I am excited to write about this escort mission. It is going to be a few chapters long so be prepared!**

 **Oh, and I have also made a poll if you guys want to check it out. I know many of you suggested I create one for future pairings with Hinata and I didn't know how to create one until now! If you want to check it out and vote, it is on my profile.**


	12. Chapter 12: Escort Arc

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Chapter twelve**

 **The Escort Arc**

After we accepted the mission, we all went our separate ways to head home to pack for the trip. We have two hours before we have to meet at the front gates so that gives us plenty of time to make sure we pack everything we need. While we are packing, Asuma is going to swing by the hotel where our clients are staying at and pick them up. When I make it to the compound, I head straight to my bedroom to begin preparing for the mission. As I set up my backpack, thrills were bouncing around inside me. I am actually going on a C-rank mission. For the past twelve years, I have been kept locked inside these village walls and I get to explore the world now! Not that Konoha is a tiny place, far from it actually. I am just ready for a change in scenery. When I am done packing, I double check my backpack. I do not want to forget anything or underpack since we are going to be gone for at least two weeks. Over the years, I have dabbled in the art of fūinjutsu just sightly. I can't do anything major though, nor do I have any talent in it I have come to realize. I am just decent enough to wear I can create scrolls that will seal and store food, water, clothes, and extra weaponry. Since scrolls are lightweight, that means less items in my bag which saves me from carrying a heavy backpack. After I am satisfied with my packing, I restock my weapons pouch and head towards my father's office to notify him that I am leaving for a couple of weeks. I knock on his door and slid it open.

"Otou-san?" I say as I peek my head in. As usual, Hiashi is sitting down at his desk and writing on a notepad. I hope I do not have to do that much writing when I become the Head.

He doesn't look up. "Yes, Hinata-chan?"

"I am just informing you that my team and I are about to embark on a C-rank escort mission," I tell him. "We will not be back for a couple of weeks."

Hiashi glances up at me and raises his eyebrows. "A C-rank mission this early in your Shinobi career? That is unusual and rather impressive." I smile as I soak up this rare compliment. "Can you tell me more about this mission?"

I quickly give him the rundown leaving out the part where I asked for it. I do not know how he will react to that, if it is a good or bad thing in his eyes. "I have to meet them at the front gates in fifteen minutes so I have to leave soon."

Hiashi nods in understanding. "Ah, well good luck," he says. "I doubt you will, but try not to let your team down or tarnish our clan's reputation. This is your first time stepping out of the village and most people will instantly know who you are just by looking at your eyes."

I bow. "I promise I will not." Geez, give me a break. Like I want to do something embarrassing to make myself and our clan look stupid.

After saying our good-byes, I shut the door and hurry over to the front gates. Since I left the house a little early, I thought I would be the first person there. However, I notice that someone else has already beaten me here when I arrive. Shikamaru leans against the left gate with his arm crossed and his eyes closed. Is he seriously taking a nap standing? Curious, I tiptoe over towards him and got close to his face, activating my Byakugan for extra measure. He looks awake to- shit he's opening his eyes!

"Agh!" Shikamaru hollers as his reflexes kick in and he clasps his hands together to extend his shadow towards me. I quickly jump backwards and hop out of the way. When he realizes it is just me, he retracts his shadow and throws me an annoyed look. "What the hell were you doing standing so close to me like that?"

At least I know that my training with Asuma in being evasive and quiet is paying off. "I was just testing my theory to see if you were sleeping while you were standing," I explain.

Shikamaru looks startled as he sweatdrops. "Wh-what?" he says before shaking his head. "Nevermind. Just… don't stand close to me like that again. Especially with your Byakugan on."

I deactivate my Byakugan and pretend to appear hurt. "What's wrong with my Byakugan?" I ask, lowering my eyes. "I know they make my eyes look freaky by surrounding them with veins, but I cannot control that."

Shikamaru shifts uncomfortably at my fake sadness. "Ugh, great," Shikamaru groans. "Look, I didn't mean to upset you. I just reserve my personal space for only one person: me."

Why do I find so much fun in teasing people? It is so hilarious to me! I smirk and flick my hand. "Nah, I am just messing around with you," I tell him as he gives me a dumbfounded look. "I am not like other girls who get angry or depressed over the littlest of things."

Shikamaru rolls his eyes and looks away. "Humph. You're just as troublesome as other girls," he comments.

I roll my eyes back at him. "Oh, please," I say. "I know for a fact that you enjoy my company better than Sakura's. I don't give you the killer intent or threaten to hit you every time you piss me off."

"You're both troublesome in your own ways," Shikamaru replies as he rests his hands behind his head and turns towards me again. "You're just more relaxing to be around. Sakura reminds me a lot of my mom: uptight, shrill, always overreacting…"

"Whose shrill and always overreacting?!" I hear Sakura suddenly yell as we turn our heads and notice her walking towards us.

She stands near Shikamaru and places her hands on her hips as I cover my mouth to hide my smile. Oh, shit. He's in for it out! Unlike Ino's yelling, I find Sakura's funny. Hers is more just loud and boisterous rather than mean and annoying. Shikamaru sighs and goes back to closing his head. "Great, I have to put up with this for the next two weeks," he complains.

A tick mark flashes on Sakura's head as I rest my hand on her shoulder to calm her nerves. "Don't worry," I tell her. "He's already called me troublesome, before you came, so you are not the only one he has ragged on."

"I am going to have you stay near me during this mission so you can be the remedy to all my headaches," Sakura tells me as she rubs her temples in annoyances.

I laugh. "I am pretty sure you will be fine."

We converse for a couple of more minutes before Asuma finally decides to grace us with his persense along with our two clients. Norio Takara, despite the worry lines crinkling his forehead, appears to be in his early thirties. He is fairly tall and slender with thick glasses, tousled brunette hair, a brown mustache to match, green narrow shaped eyes, and unusually large ears. His getup is a little strange to me, wearing a jade green long sleeve shirt with brown vest over it, brown pants, and black shoes and is carrying a grey backpack. I guess I am just used to Shinobi wear and kimonos.

The little girl, Michi Takara, is absolutely adorable, resembling her father in the ear and hair department. Except, her shoulder length straight hair is styled more easily with a black headband pushing her bangs back to expose her large blue eyes. Unlike her father, her clothes dictates that she knows a little more about fashion than he does by wearing a yellow tank dress with brown sandals and a light green backpack to match. Just going based off her looks and height, she appears to be around eight or nine years old age, only slightly older than Hanabi.

"I see you all came here early," Asuma says. "This is our clients, Takara Norio and Takara Michi. We will be escorting them to Yugakure on this mission. Our duties involve making sure they arrive there safely and protect them with our lives if trouble arises."

"It is nice to meet you," Michi greets as she waves and bows. Awh, she is so sweet and mannerly! At least we do not have to handle a brat on this mission.

Her father's greeting is not as polite as his daughters. "Are you sure these three can protect me and my daughter?" he asks Asuma, sending us suspicious glances. "They are just kids." Shikamaru throws him a glare as Sakura and I give each other an annoyed look. Dude, we can totally kick your ass ten times fold.

Sensing the silent tension that is rising from his students, Asuma gives Norio a reassuring smile. "Even though they are young, these three are more than qualified enough to protect you and your daughter," he tells our client. "In the rare case that they cannot, I will be here. I am a Jōnin, an elite Shinobi, so you should not have any worries while we are around."

Norio sighs in relief and turns to look at us. He seems more open this time. "I don't mean to doubt you kids," he begins. "It is just Michi and I were attacked by a group of bandits on our way to your village. We manage to escape, but barely. This is why I sent the request to be escorted back to my village this time around and why I am being hypersensitive about our wellbeings."

Our ill intents towards Norio immendelity vanish after he explains his reasonings. "We understand your situation," I tell him. "I would be a little cautious as well if I had to rely my life on some preteens that I did not know." Sakura shoots me a look that screams "hypocrite" when our Inner selves were just bashing him for saying that about us seconds ago.

Norio grins and scratches the back of his neck. His mannerisms reminds me a little of Naruto. "Good! I didn't want you guys to think I'm some kind of jerk," he admits. Pssh, after basically saying you do not trust us with your lives? Nooo, never!

Asuma begins walking ahead of us. "It is going to take about five to six days to get Yugakure so let's get to moving," he orders. "We do not want to waste anymore time."

As we beginning moving, I take in my surroundings. The trees located outside of Konoha seem to be three times taller than the ones inside of the village. While the trees in this universe are abnormally tall, they are breathtaking to look at and I bet it would be cool to live up there in one of them in a treehouse or something. New goal on my bucket list: transfer the Hyūga clan from the compound to live out in the wild. Ha, I would be worse Head ever if I did that. I continue to gaze around some more as I take in the colorful arrays of flowers, the different shapes and sizes of plant life, and the scurrying of small mammals. Unlike my past life, this world seems to actually care about the environment and takes more pride in protecting and taking care of it.

After an hour of just walking in peaceful silence, Norio decides to break it with some small talk. I guess he's feeling awkward and doesn't like to be chilling in complete silence for long periods of time. We do not mean to, but that is just the dynamic over our group. Overall, we are pretty laid-back and easygoing and enjoy moments like this, especially during this beautiful nature walk. "It seems like you guys appreciate the nature that is around us. I suppose I can see that since you guys live in a beautiful country." he comments. He glances over at me. "Especially you."

I point a finger at myself. "What about me?" I ask, puzzled.

"The way you are observing everything and soaking it all up with wide eyes," Norio explains. "You seem to be the most excited about nature." Damn, he's good at reading people on the fly like I am. Sir, would you like a pair of Byakugan eyes to go with your skills?

"This is my first time outside of the village so I am just making sure I notice every little detail," I tell him.

Norio appears to be enthralled at my words. "You have never left your village before? No wonder you are looking around at the world as if you were a blind man who just gained his eyesight for the first time." Uh, nice simile? He pats the top of his daughter's head, which draws her attention from the book she is currently reading, and she glances up at him. "I used to travel around a lot in my younger days before Michi was born. Now that she is a little older, I decided to take her on her first trip. Konohagakure is one of my most favorite places to visit."

Michi grins. "I loved Konoha! I can't wait to go back soon!"

I smile down at her then focus my attention back on Norio. "What made you decide you wanted to travel?" I ask. We have days until we reach our destination. Why not take the opportunity and get to know our clients?

Norio adjusts his glasses. "I love learning and gaining knowledge. I believe that the more you know; the more better off in life you are going to be. This is why I made it my goal to travel to as many different places as I can before I die. Our world is so vast and it offers so much. Why not take the chance to explore it? Everytime I stumble across something incredible, I spend some time studying it and writing down my observations in a notepad. I have many notebooks back at home just filled with pages and pages of stories of my adventures, the things I have witnessed, and the conclusions and facts I have came up with and discovered over the years. I plan on publishing all of my work before I die so everyone can read for themselves how amazing our world is and what secrets lies in it. Sure, we can simply learn about our world through encyclopedias and history books. But, when they are reading my work they are seeing things from an actual person's point of view and that will help them connect better with the world and understand it more instead of merely just having fact after fact thrown at them.

"With the details and personal touches I plan on giving my books, I hope it inspires people to take the chance and see the stuff they are reading about in person. My target audience for my book would be, as you guys would call it, civilians. Many civilians are afraid to travel because of rogue Shinobi, thieves, bandits, and more. I do not want those small percentage of bad factors to scare people into not broadening their horizons. Because, the ones who simply just stay within their village their whole lives are missing out. I know Shinobi get the chance to see the world because they go on missions. This is my way of seeing it without being one, even if there are many risk factors involved."

"You have to be one dictated person to pursue the dream you have," Sakura points out.

She and Norio are both correct. Civilians tend to rarely leave their villages, roaming no further than a few miles away, unless they request protection from Shinobi or from another source.

Norio nods. "I am not that great, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve to protect me and my daughter in most situations."

"Oh, really? What can you do?" Sakura asks.

"I have picked up on a few jutsus here and there," Norio admits. I notice this seems to have caught Asuma's attention as he flicks his eyes over towards our client. It isn't everyday that a civilian knows ninjutsu without training.

"Are you a retired Shinobi?" Shikamaru questions, deciding to take interest in the conversation.

Norio shakes his head. "No, but my wife was one. She had taught me some over our years together."

I pick up on the word _was._ "Oh, she is the one that is retired then?" I ask.

The man gives me a sad smile. "No. She passed away six years ago when Michi was only two."

I widen my eyes. I didn't expect that. "O-oh," I say lamely. "I'm so sorry." I cast my eyes over at the little girl who appears indifferent about the topic of her deceased mother as she listens in. I guess that is an acceptable emotion to feel if she was that young when her mother died. She probably doesn't remember her that well, if at all.

Norio fumbles his glasses around some more. "Do not apologize," he tells me. "The mentioning of her does not effect me in a negative matter anymore." That is good that he has moved on then.

"If I may ask, how did she pass?" Asuma asks. Despite his casual demeanor, I know he is searching for information. It isn't common for a Shinobi to settle down with a civilian.

"I do not wish to go into detail," Norio politely replies. "But, I will just say that she was killed on a mission." Well, that dampens my excitement for this current mission, and for being a Genin. The thought of dying on a mission hasn't crossed my mind until now. I can tell Shikamaru and Sakura are thinking similar things by the expressions written on their faces. "It was during the days when Yugakure was still considered a Shinobi village, though they were slowly transitioning to a tourist attraction. Just a couple of months ago, we fully switched over to one because we are famous for our hot springs. The money that Yugakure was making based off our springs along was more of an income than missions were bringing in. While most of the Shinobi in the village decided to retire early and enjoy a more peaceful life, there is still a few Shinobi running around. Their main jobs now is to protect the village and go on more simpler missions such as running messages, helping out around Yugakure, or standing as guards."

I suppose it makes sense for a smaller village like Yugakure to convert over to a tourist village if they are making more money that way. Even though the village receives income from the missions, so do the Shinobi(s) that perform them. "Yes," Asuma says. "I heard about the recent transitioning. It sounds like the change is going quite well for the village." He looks over at his students. "When we arrive at Yugakure, how about we visit these famous hot springs? My treat!" One thing I like about Asuma is that he is always treating his sweet little broke students.

"No, it is my treat," Norio cuts in. "You guys are taking the time and risking your lives to escort us back. It is the least I can do."

Asuma chuckles. "Well, it is our duties to do so," he says, shrugging. "But, if you insist I am not going to complain!"

The hot springs in Konoha are a popular place for Shinobi to visit, especially after a long mission, to unwind and relax their muscles and regain their chakra. I have been there a few times with Sakura and Hanabi just for recreational and bathing purposes so I am eager to soak in the ones in Yugakure to compare the two.

The rest of the day is spent listening to Norio tell us about his life and of Yugakure. He has actually lived a pretty interesting life from all the things he has done and experienced. Norio's parents were Shinobi so that encouraged him to enroll in their Academy to become one. After only a couple of months being a Genin, he quit being a Shinobi to become a scholar and study about our world. From his teachings of being in the Academy, and his brief Shinobi career, it made it a little easier for him to learn some jutsus. Curious, I wanted to pull a Naruto and randomly ask what kind of jutsus he knew. But, despite claiming he views himself as scholar instead of ever being a Shinobi, I know those are his secrets would have told us what they were if he wanted to. His daughter made a comment here and there indicating that she wants to follow into their father's footsteps when she is older after her first trip to Konohagakure. When dusk began to fall, we stop traveling for the day and start to set up camp.

"Hinata, you go out and hunt for dinner," Asuma orders. "Shikamaru, please go out and grab some firewood to create a fire. I will go around and create a border while setting up traps. Sakura, I would like for you to stand guard over the camp and watch over our clients while we are gone."

I activated my Byakugan and head off in search of small prey. While my team and I can live off the disgusting food rations, I do not think Norio and Michi will take a liking to them. They will most likely akin to eating a rabbit or a squirrel over that, though Norio might be used to rations since he travels a lot. I quickly locate a rabbit and hurl a kunai at it before it can take off. It pierces through its head, killing it instantly. While I would have freaked out in my past life, I can thank the Academy for desensitizing us for moments like this for survival. After hunting down enough small mammals to feed all of us, I proceed to skin them and head back to camp. We are lucky to be in a forest right now with so much options for food. I wonder how Shinobi in the Kaze no Kuni survive in the harsh desert climate if they are tired of living off food rations?

After dinner, we unrolled our sleeping bags while our clients resign in their tent for the night. I could have brought a tent, but Shinobi tend to just sleep underneath the stars incase we have to leave in a hurry. Those suckers can be rolled up while a tent will take longer to take down. Shikamaru had decided to take the first watch, so he can just sleep through the rest of the night, followed by me, Sakura, then Asuma. As we all head off to bed, and Shikamaru to his post up in a tree, I feel restless. I toss and turn for a while before finally giving up on going to sleep and stare at the starry sky. Being my first time camping out in the wilderness, I would have found the whole thing relaxing and joyful. However, Norio's comment about how his wife died still echos in my mind. What if I die on this mission? What if I cause one of my teammates or clients to die? Missions aren't just going out, completing, and arriving back to start a new one. It isn't just that easy. There is a lot factors involved and I haven't thought about the negative aspects of things until now.

Paranoid begins to attack me. Are we being watched right now? Shikamaru could have drifted off to sleep and not be paying attention. I quickly activated my Byakugan and sense nothing around us but a wide awake Shikamaru. Good, he is still up. I deactivated my Byakugan and turn on my side, trying to calm down. Overthinking is exactly one of the ways that could lead to my death. I cannot prevent death. If I am meant to die at a certain moment, then I will die. No amount of training can evade the outcome. Though, it is ironic that I am afraid of dying since I have already done so once before. Except, my first death was quick and painless; I didn't even know I had died until I was reborned. I guess I am more frightened about the possibility of dying in a painful way. The only time I had experienced true physical pain is when Itachi stabbed me with his sword a few years ago, and that hurt like a bitch. But, that sort of pain only lasted a few seconds. Dying a slow and painful death is my new worse fear.

Since I am not able to obviously sleep at the moment, I decide to climb up the tree and keep Shikamaru company. It is far enough from the campsite to be able to talk freely without waking up the other, but not far enough to where we cannot quickly alert them. "Hi," I say as I sit down on the branch next to him.

Shikamaru arches an eyebrow. "Can't sleep?" he asks, yawning "I could right now."

"I can take over your shift for you and make mine a double," I offer.

Shikamaru shakes his head. "No, I'm not going to let you do that. I only have an hour left anyways. I can wait it out."

I shrug. "Okay."

"What's wrong this time?" Shikamaru asks, catching me off guard. That is the second time today he has realized I was feeling more differently than usual. "Are you still thinking about how Norio's wife was killed?" Damn his exceptional perceptive skills.

I nod. "More on the terms of never thinking about the possibility of getting killed, like an idiot. It is basically in our job description."

"It isn't idiotic. It is reasonable that those thoughts have never crossed your mind," Shikamaru says. "It has obviously never crossed mine or Sakura's. Pretty much, all three of us has lived a comfortable, lavish, and mundane life up to this point. Nothing terrible has happened to us yet to cause us to think more cautiously and/or negatively. While the Academy indirectly taught us that being a Shinobi is dangerous, no one has ever outright said to us that we might die in battle someday, only implied."

"I just thought I had enough common sense to know that I could easily lose my life one day," I tell him, lowering my eyes. "I asked for a C-rank mission without thinking about the possible repercussions and, now, I am second guessing myself."

Shikamaru sighs. "Look, there is only enough room for one person on this team to complain." I look over at him as he throws me a hearten smile. "Stop beating yourself up. It isn't like you. You're going to have to either take things in stride or continue to worry over mere possibilities."

It is kind of hard not to worry when you know what dangers the future holds. And, to be honest, I am starting to forget when certain situations happen and what happens. Like earlier, I had totally forgotten that Team Seven goes on their mission in the Land of Waves because of all the new changes that keep happening. "How do you stay so relaxed and laid-back all the time?" I ask. Maybe he can give me some pointers.

"Me?" Shikamaru asks before pondering over my questions. He shrugs. "I really don't have any serious goals or dreams to chase after. I have the mindset of wanting to just act like a cloud and float carelessly through life. I pretty much just want to life an unremarkable life and then simply die of old age." That makes me wonder if he really wants to live that sort of life or has that sort of thinking because he finds things easy and grows bored fairly quickly because of his high IQ?

"Why did you become a Shinobi then?" I question. I half-smiled. "We tend to not live very unremarkable lives."

Shikamaru glances up at the stars. "Actually, many Shinobi do. In times of peace, there isn't a lot of dangerous and life threatening missions to go on. A lot of missions are escorting, border controlling, search and rescuing, and so on. Occasionally, someone will come across a higher ranking mission that involves tracking down a missing nin, for example. That little moment of your life will become more than unremarkable, but you have a high chance of completing the mission without too much troubles.

"But, to answer your question, I never really had a good reason to become a Shinobi other than to follow into my parent's footsteps and protect Konoha. My folks are both Shinobi. My mother is a Chunin and my father is the Head of the Nara clan, plus the Jōnin Commander of our village. I would never hear the end of it if I refused to become one. It would just be too troublesome for me to deal with."

"You speak about your parents so casually," I say. I would feel even more pressured than I do now to impress my parents and live up to their standards if they were mine.

Shikamaru just shrugs. "Yeah, they hold special titles. But, I just see them as my mom and dad." Oh, you will see them as more than just that when you are older and have experienced more things.

"Well, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to listen to me vent," I say to him, patting his back. "I don't want to be too troublesome for you."

"Don't thank me," he replies. "I mean, that's what friends are for."

I raise my eyebrows in surprise. Friends, huh? That is another thing I haven't thought of. I guess we are not on acquaintance terms anymore since we all spend so much time together. I smile to myself. Friends. Sasuke, Naruto, Neji, Shikamaru, and Sakura are all my friends. I like that.

Suddenly, I sense someone approaching us. Shikamaru and I briefly glance down to see a pink headed girl climbing up the tree. She pops her head up and meekly waves. "Hi, guys!" she greets.

I wave back. "Can you not sleep as well?"

"Well, I saw you get up and assumed you were using the bathroom," Sakura begins. "But, I grew worried when you didn't come back so I went to look for you."

"In other words, you can't sleep," Shikamaru states.

Sakura nervously smiles. "You caught me. Mind I join you two?" she asks.

"I don't care," Shikamaru responds while I nod. Sakura makes her way over and sits down beside of me. Good thing these trees are huge and these branches can support all this weight or we would be falling to the ground from it snapping.

"What's wrong?" Shikamaru asks, lazily looking over at Sakura. Oh, we are starting this again?

"W-what do you mean?" she stammers, giving us a fake grin. "I am fine!"

I wave my hand. "Oh, save it. There is no use in lying," I warn her. "I already tried that earlier with him and he saw right through me."

Sakura blinks. "Huh?"

"Are you worried about getting killed on missions and you feel like an idiot because it has never crossed your mind before?" Shikamaru asks, getting straight to the point.

I giggle as Sakura appears stumped. "H-how did you-"

"I just had the same conversation with him," I explain. "He is just assuming that you have the same worries as me right now."

"I'm not assuming when it is obvious," Shikamaru comments.

Sakura lowers her eyes. "I just feel very useless compared to you guys," she admits.

"Woah, why?" I question.

Even Shikamaru seems taken aback by that statement. "Yeah, why?"

"You both are remarkable and are strong enough to easily defend yourselves in battle," Sakura continues. "The only thing I am good for is hiding behind a bush and casting genjutsus."

"Hey, don't call Shikamaru remarkable or he will freak out," I tell her as he shoots me an annoyed look. "But, there is nothing wrong with that! That just means you can daze your opponent and then launch a surprise attack on them. A good Shinobi is one that hides within the shadows. That's you!"

Sakura doesn't seem convinced. "Well, but-"

"Plus, someone like Shikamaru would kill to be in your position," I interrupt. "Hiding and simply casting a genjutsu. It doesn't involve any hard work at all!"

Shikamaru rolls his eyes. "Will you be quiet?"

"In all seriousness," I begin. "Genjutsu isn't easy to master. It does take hard work and excellent chakra control. As you become more experienced, you are going to be a force to be reckoned with. Do you know how bad you can mess with someone's mind? They are under your control and you can do whatever you want to them and make them see whatever. That's lethal." I try to think of some more positives about her. "You are also very intelligent and have obtained a lot of knowledge over the years. You have read more about history and terminology than Shikamaru and I have put together. That is good information to know for different circumstances."

While Sakura and I both studied a lot in our days at the Academy, we studied totally different topics. She took the time to read up the history, politics, and other details of as many clans, villages, Shinobi, and so on as she was allowed. I just studied different ways to make myself a better Shinobi to protect my clan and Konoha, such as chakra control.

Sakura made a "pfft" sound in disagreement. "Name one," she dares me.

I sweatdrop at her response as I quickly rack my brain for an example. "If we ever come across a rouge/missing Shinobi from a certain clan or village, you could be able to predict what his background is and how he might fight from what you studied of that clan and village." Ehhh, I hope this is a good enough example to convince her, even though it is a little vague and uncreative.

Sakura sighs. "I guess I am not going to get any better if I just complain and throw a pity party."

I smile. "When we get back to Konoha, maybe we can spar or something?" I offer. "I don't think you and I have had one just yet. I am willing to bet you are better than you think."

Offering to spar with someone is the same form of casual invitation as asking a friend to hang out. It is a weird concept to think that a good way to strengthen a bond with someone else is by beating the crap out of them. Nothing screams you're my friend more than bruises and scars. Shinobi are weird.

Sakura smiles and nods. "That would be nice," she replies.

Shikamaru yawns. "You know, I thought my shift was going to be peaceful and I would be able to count the stars. Instead, I got to play therapist and hear you two complain about your feelings. You two are so troublesome."

I shift my eyes over to him. "We listen to your complaints everyday," I mumble.

Shikamaru ignored my snide comment. "Well, it looks like my watch is over now," he informs me. "It is your turn to take over so I am going to leave the party a little early. Goodnight." He jumps down from the tree and heads back to camp.

I look over at Sakura as she looks longly at him as he takes off. "You can go back, too," I tell her. She flicks her eyes over at me. "I know you are growing tired."

Sakura pauses. "Will you be okay by yourself?" she asks. "I can stay if-"

I wave my hand to dismiss her question. "I will be fine. You need to rest before it is your turn to watch."

Sakura smiles. "Alright. Goodnight, Hinata. And… thank you."

I raise an eyebrow. "Hmmm, for what?"

"For trying to make me feel better."

"Oh, that?" I shrug. "Don't think me. That's what friends are for!" Okay, I totally know I just copied Shikamaru's line he said to me. But, it was heartfelt and meaningful to me.

Sakura widens her eyes slightly than nods. "Right!" she agrees and jumps down.

* * *

The second and third day went by just as same as the first: traveling for most of the day and telling each other stories. During the afternoon of the fourth day, we finally made it to the Land of Hot Water's border. After walking through the country for a couple of hours, I could not tell the difference between this country and the Land of Fire. Both countries contain very dense forests. There might be more difference as we move along, though. I can see this country having more bodies of water than the Land of Fire just because of its name.

"At this rate, we will be in Yugakure around tomorrow in the late morning," Asuma informs us.

Good. I'm ready to sleep in an actual bed, bathe in a shower, and pee in an actual toilet and not in a bush.

Norio frowns and a worried expression crosses his face. "Just be careful," he suddenly warns us and we shoot an alarmed glance at him. "This is around the place my daughter and I were attacked." As he says that, Michi grabs a hold of her father's hand and squeezes it in fear.

Asuma looks over at me, but I am already thinking two steps ahead. "Already on it," I tell him. "Byakugan!" My vision extended a kilometer out as I search for any signs of danger. Nope, nobody hiding here. Everything is good over hear. I think the coast is-wait what's that? As my vision met its limit, I swear I saw a figure near a tree. I look back at Asuma. "I think I see something, but I need to go a little further to check it out."

I run up and tree and traveled hundred more feet and expanded my vision again. I gasp as my stomach churns at the horrifying sight. There is an elderly man, definitely a civilian, that is pinned against a tree. He has been slashed in the chest, as there were three deep wounds visible, and he has several wound stabs through his body. Fresh blood is spewed everywhere, hinting that this man was just murdered. I notice a strange symbol placed right underneath the dead man's feet: an upside down triangle within a circle. It had been written in blood. Why does it look so familiar? I need to go back and warn the others.

Before I can move, I notice some movement to my left. I move my eyes over to my left, ranging away from the man about forty feet and I almost fall out of the tree and terror and shock. A shirtless young man with slicked back grey hair and purple eyes was on the run. He is carrying a three-bladed scythe on his back and is wearing a Yugakure forehead protector and an amulet around his neck, with the same shape as the symbol on the ground. I know what the symbol stands for now. It is related to the "religion" of Jashin and the man proudly wearing it is none other than Hidan. And… he is heading right towards me and my team.

Fuck. We are dead.

 **Author's Note: Okay, what in the world has Hinata done that has made Team Ten meet Hidan so early, if she has done anything at all? Do you think the group of people that attacked Norio and Michi has anything to do with Hidan at all? Hidan is somebody that would make me shit my pants if I had to fight him and I am so excited for the next chapter. That is why I posted this chapter early! Next chapter is action packed so be prepared! *insert scary ass Hidan's theme here***

 **P.S I went and edited my grammar, to the best of my ability, in the past chapters. Thanks everyone for pointing out a few of my mistakes!**


	13. Chapter 13: Escort Arc

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Minato would've stayed alive cause I have a fangirl crush on him.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **The Escort Arc**

 **Chapter thirteen**

I spin around and dart back towards my team, my heart pounding rapidly. Why? Why? Why is he here? Why have we come across him? He is not scheduled to make an appearance until a few years from now. Did I cause this? Did the original Team Ten actually ever go on any mission above a D-rank in the anime/manga or did I change things because I asked for one? To be honest, I do not recall anything about a team stumbling upon Hidan. Then again, that would have nothing to do with the main series. Plus, that sort of information is not going to be told willy nilly. Besides, we can't fight him. Not while we are Genin and with two clients, one being a child. Asuma originally dies because of this homicidal maniac! Sure, we have the advantage because I still somewhat remember how he fights, but he is dangerous as hell and we are doomed if he gets a single drop of blood from us.

I burst through the trees and halted in front of Asuma, trying to control my panic. Shinobi are supposed to keep their cool in any situation and I am not about to slip up, especially since I am the one that asked for this mission. "There is a potentially dangerous Shinobi heading our way. He will be here in about three minutes," I inform everybody. I quickly describe the scene I had just witnessed. "Based on circumstantial evidence, he is most likely the reason that man is dead."

Asuma nods. "Alright, team!" he barks. "We do not have much time on our hands! Get into Formation C, but with a slight change!"

Sakura squeaks in fear while Shikamaru widens his eyes at the realization of danger they are about to be in. Michi looks up with frightful eyes at her father and opens her mouth to say something, but he gently covers it and shushes her. He appears as cool as a cucumber, but could be just a front to not freak out his daughter. Asuma explains the changes of the formation to comply with the predicament we are in, and the overall plan, to us and we break off. I create two Shadow Clones, one to hide and protect the clients, and the other to take my place in the clearing while I take my position in the trees. Shikamaru leaves back a regular Clone as he goes off while Sakura does not make her presence known at all. As soon as we finish shuffling around and making last minute, arrangements, Hidan comes crashing through the trees. I hold my breathe as he stares at our clones like they were his next meal.

"Yes, can we help you?" Asuma's clone asks in a suspicious tone.

Hidan smirks and extends his hand out. "Hey! Do you three want to join The Way of Jashin?" Well, at least he is polite enough to ask others if they want to join his religion before killing them.

Asuma's clone arches an eyebrow in confusion. "The Way of Jashin?" he repeats.

Hidan nods ecstatically. "Yes!" he declares. "The Way of Jashin!"

My Shadow Clone frowns. "What is that?" she questions.

"You can kill people without being punished and use them as a sacrifice to offer up prayers to Jashin-sama!" Hidan explains proudly. I sense the clones tense up at that response. Heck, I did just now and I even knew that! "It pleases Jashin-sama greatly when we do so."

"I see," Asuma's clone replies, stalling for time. Only just a few more seconds…

"What do you guys say?" Hidan asks as looks over at each one of them. "Isn't that a wonderful teaching? Are you interested in joining?"

Deep down, I know he is hoping they will say no so he can "kill" them. However, my Shadow Clone contains the same mind as I have and we are going to keep him as engaged and distracted as possible before we launch the ambush. "If we join," my clone beings. "Will we be going out as individuals to gather up offerings or as a group?" Or more like as a cult. Plus, I am curious to see if the group that Norio and Michi ran into is actually a cult of Jashin worshipers and Hidan was among them. Though, at the same time, that would not make any sense because they should have not escaped from that many murderous immortal psychos.

Hidan seems slightly surprised, and maybe even a little disappointed, at the question. I guess most people do say no at this point and I know he is eager to "kill" them. "Ah! It is preferred to travel in groups so we can give more offering at once," Hidan answers. That would also cause more attention on them, but they don't care. The goal is to spread awareness of their great *gag* Jashin. "Personally, I go at it alone so I can develop a special connection with Jashin-sama. He has shown me The Way recently and I am thanking him back by giving him as much offerings as he deserves!" He throws his hands up in the air for effect.

A shiver went down my spine. He just discovered about Jashin? I wonder how recently he is talking about? A nagging feeling in the back of mind is telling me I should be remembering something, but I don't know what! That's not a good sign. "How interesting," my clone tells him. "Do you-"

Hidan narrows his eyes. "Well, are you guys going to answer me? Do you want to join The Way of Jashin or not?" he snaps, interrupting the clone. Crap, he is getting impatient. He shifts his eyes over towards Shikamaru's clone. "And, what's your problem? You haven't said anything, or moved, this whole time. Are you-"

Asuma's Shadow Clone casually sticks one finger out as Hidan rants on. There's the signal! I fling a kunai attached to some wire towards him. It struck his shoulder and he grasps his hissing in pain. In that same instant, I notice Sakura dropping a _Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Jutsu_ on the area, contorting Hidan's surroundings, as Shikamaru's shadow shoots out of the bush below me. It travels underneath my wire for length and connects to Hidan. If Sakura's genjutsu was done properly, which she just learned so I am crossing my fingers, then Hidan should not have seen the shadow creeping up on him. There is no need to attack him just yet. This is just an interrogating moment to get some answers, even though I already know them.

Our clones continue to stand there as Hidan reaches to remove the kunai, but noticed he cannot. "W-what the fuck?!" he yells. "I'm stuck! Why can't I move?!"

I can see his body slightly trembling as he attempts to lift an arm, but fails. I know Shikamaru won't be able to hold him for too long and Hidan will be able to see through Sakura's genjutsu any moment now. Asuma's clone takes a couple of steps towards Hidan as he glares at said clone. "Did you kill the man up ahead?" the Shadow Clone asks.

"Did you do this to me?" Hidan asks back through gritted teeth. "Let me go! I'm going to fucking kill you!"

"You're not going anywhere if you don't comply," Asuma's clone replies cooly. "I suggest you answer the question."

"How do you know about him anyways?" Hidan growls. Then, he smirks. "Heh, no matter. Yeah, I did. So, what? It was an offering for Jashin-sama and you three are next!" He starts struggling again for emphasis.

"I assume you are not going to answer any of my questions?" Asuma's clone tries again.

"Hell, no!" Hidan spats back as he slightly shifts his body over to the right. Crap, he's resisting Shikamaru's jutsu!

"Very well," Asuma's clone sighs, nodding towards my clone.

My Shadow Clone springs forward and begins to disable his chakra pathways. Hidan tenses up his body from the pain as my clone goes in for her third strike. Hidan roars and extends his arms out, breaking out of the shadow's grasp. He backhands the clone to the side, causing her to go up in smoke, and he pulls out his scythe. In a blink of an eye, he whips the weapon around his head and slings it towards the other two clones. It makes contact with Shikamaru's clone, but Asuma's jumps out of the way. Without breaking a sweat, Hidan easily movenurs the scythe the opposite way, targeting Asuma's clone. The scythe sinks into his back and he instantly disappears.

Hidan scowls. "All three of you were nothing but a bunch of damn clones?" he exclaims, retracting the scythe to his side. "You guys are really starting to piss me off!"

The real Asuma hops down from his position and lands in front of his opponent. "I guess you aren't going to back down, are you?" he asks, clenching his hands around two sharp chakra blades.

"I know there are more of ya!" Hidan shouts, ignoring Asuma's question and looking from side to side. "Stop hiding and come out and play! You'll make great offerings to-"

"Don't worry about them," Asuma interrupts, jabbing a thumb at himself. "I'm the one you should be focusing on."

Hidan smirks. "Eager to die first, huh?" He pulls out a black pike and throws his arms up. "Jashin-sama! Please allow this one to be a good kill!"

His pike suddenly lengthens in size and Hidan slashes at his own side, causing a gash. Everyone widens their eyes in surprise as Hidan seems to be enjoying the pain he is causing to himself. The blood flows down to the ground and he begins to smear a circle with his foot. I hold up a kunai. He is already drawing Jashin's symbol to use for his sacrificial ritual. Damnit! I instantly jump out of my position, revealing myself. I cannot allow him to complete that symbol! Hidan gives me a mildly startled glance as I charge after him. I fling the kunai towards him and he easily dodges it. I pull out another and push off the ground and leap forward. He stops moving his foot and pulls out his scythe once more and slings it. I duck down and roll to the side, hurling my kunai. He defends himself with his scythe and the kunai bounces off. I begin to pursuit him with a barrage of strikes as he continues to evade him, not moving from his spot.

Asuma takes the time to join me. "Hinata! What are you doing?!" he asks in disbelief.

"We cannot allow him to complete whatever symbol he was about to create with his blood!" I explain. I backflip out of the way as the scythe sticks to the ground below me. Hidan swings it upward, but I lift up a finger as it makes contact with me. I find myself a few feet away as a log gets cut in half where I was just at. "It is laced with chakra!" Okay, strangely it is not, and maybe I am telling a little white lie. But, nobody is going to argue with someone who possesses the Byakugan.

Hidan snarls as he retracts his scythe in front of him to block one of Asuma's chakra blades. "Damn brat," he mumbles.

"You can't fight alongside of me!" Asuma tells me, hopping to the side. "He is way out of your league!"

"I know that. I was just giving you a heads up." Boy, Hidan's weapon of choice is super annoying! I cannot get anywhere close to him without worrying about getting pricked.

Asuma nods gratefully. "Thank you. Now, go back!"

I hurl two more kunai at Hidan to distract him and give Asuma a slight opening before obeying him and retreating back into the trees. "Oh no you don't!" I hear Hidan shout behind me.

I hear clunking sounds from my kunai and the noise of his scythe chasing after me. I spin around to use Substitution again, but Asuma rushes over to me with impossible speeds and blocks the attack. "I told you that I was the one you should be focusing on," he reminds Hidan.

I take the opportunity and pick up the pace again, all the while making a few signs in our team's sign language with my right hand. I sense Sakura drop another genjutsu on the area as I slip into the trees, hoping that it came into effect quick enough for Hidan not to notice which way I went. I swiftly make my way over to Shikamaru to grab him and group up with Sakura to come up with a plan. It may not have been the brightest idea for me to just come out and charge towards Hidan head on, but I needed to quickly stop Hidan from making his symbol. This is why I am dragging Shikamaru so he can come up with the ideas this time while I give them the knowledge that I know about the murderous maniac through suggestions. Great teamwork!

"What are you doing?" Shikamaru whispers as I urge him to follow me. "You are breaking formation."

"I am modifying it," I reply as we come across Sakura. She holds up her kunai as a reflex from our sudden appearance before relaxing, slightly, when she realizes it is just us. At least that proves we are getting better at masking our chakra and staying within the shadows. We should be Anbu… kidding. Just kidding.

"What's going on?" Sakura asks, alarmed.

"We are going to help out Asuma-sensei," I explain. He only told me to not fight with him, not to ever assist him. At the mentioning of his name, I concentrate my vision on him for a moment. For now, he seems to be doing fine with keeping Hidan on his toes. Asuma is using mainly taijutsu at the moment while Hidan is using his scythe. But, he is not able to restrain him and Asuma cannot play tag forever. The difference between him and Hidan is that one is human with a limited amount of chakra while the other is immortal with an unlimited amount.

"Wouldn't that be dangerous? Shouldn't we just-"

"Yes, it is going to be dangerous," I tell her. I give her a reassuring smile. "But, we are Shinobi. It is kind of our job to find ourselves in these type of situations." I sigh. "Okay, here is what I am thinking. That guy is trying to draw some sort of symbol, with his blood, on the ground. It seems like some jutsu will activate if he completes it. We cannot allow that to happen, especially since we do not have a run down of his skills. Asuma is, momentarily, preventing that from happening. But, this guy seems to be quicker and has a lot more chakra then sensei so the guy will outlast him. This is where our team's specialty comes in! We are going to create a diversion.

"Since I am our team's designated decoy, I will be the target that our enemy focuses on. I will not be pursuing him head on; more like running around him like an annoying bug. I will be tying ninja wire from various tree branches and attaching a kunai to the end of it. I will be throwing kunais in different places from above, allowing it to stick to another tree. This should allow Shikamaru's shadow to expand and move without ease so you should not have to worry about a limit, distance wise. While I am doing this, I am relying on Asuma's pursuit on him to distract him from seeing what I am doing. At some point, I will obviously be caught. This is when I will act like I am coming down to attack him and then do some fancy acrobatics moves and retreat. I will hide with you, Shikamaru, at the edge of the forest and use my eyes to guide your shadow since we are going to be hidden.

"Sakura, you will stay with my Shadow Clone to protect our clients. She will have her Byakugan activated and watching. If she senses that our opponent is going out of bounds, she will tell you. This is when you will create two illusionary clones to block his path and force him back into range with your explosion of cherry blossoms. Um, does that sound like a decent plan?" I know I said that I will let Shikamaru come up with the plan, but I know about Hidan's advantages and disadvantages so I should take the spotlight just this once.

"Instead of just using an illusionary explosion as a distraction, maybe we can attach explosive tags to the clones?" Shikamaru suggests. "It can be an offensive attack and a distraction."

Exploding clones? Shit, that is brilliant! That is a new tactic we need to bring up to Asuma later if we are still alive.

"I will have to borrow some from you, Shikamaru," Sakura admits.

He nods. "Not a problem."

"Wow, we came up with this plan in about forty-five seconds," I realize. "Asuma-sensei is going to be proud when he hears that!"

"He will probably still say we took to long," Sakura remarks. Hey, I'm just being nice and giving you credit that you helped out so you don't come across as useless. No need for comments like that!

"I calculated the best positions to where you should aim your kunai to get the best angle that will allow my shadow to-" Shikamaru beings.

Out of the corner of my vision, I sense Hidan's scythe coming in our direction. "Duck!" I shout as I dive forward, pushing their bodies down.

Damn! I didn't know his weapon stretched out this far! The scythe barely misses us and continues on, right towards our clients! I see my Shadow Clone jump in front of the crouched down clients to protect them. She raises her kunai to bat the scythe away, but it overwhelms her and ends up slicing right through her. The clone disappears into a cloud of smoke. At that same moment, the scythe whips back around to attack Norio and Michi. They quickly roll out of the way… off the branch and begin to plummet towards the ground. Shit.

I grit my teeth. "Shikamaru! Grab Norio!"

He doesn't question me as he quickly pinpoints Norio's location and heads out for him. I jump down between trees, perform a front flip, and catch Michi in ample time. I stick myself to another tree and push myself upwards, landing back in our original spots. Michi is crying and shaking in fear at this point as I do my best to comfort her. I see Shikamaru attempt to grab Norio, but the man bounces off a trees and jumps upwards, grabbing ahold of a branch. Well, it does look like he still has some of his Shinobi reflexes instilled in his muscle memory. Shikamaru grabs ahold of the hanging man and meets back up with us.

"Well, that just made things even more inconvenient," Shikamaru complained as he let's go of Norio. Michi breaks out of my arms and buries herself into her father. "We need to get these two further-"

"Get down!" I shout again as we all throw ourselves to the ground.

The scythe makes its appearance again as it slices through the air and cuts through a tree. We are not going anywhere if he keeps this up. I expand my vision and see that Asuma has been knocked back towards a tree, giving Hidan the moment to try and attack us. With Sakura's genjutsu dropped and being more focused now on his surroundings, I am assuming he has sensed all five of us. Suddenly, as the scythe heads towards us again, the air is filled with chakra-infused gunpowder. The smokescreen begins to spread across the area and I shut my eyes to shield them from getting anything inside of them. In that split second, I hear the noise of fire igniting followed by a scream of terror. Ignoring the gunpowder, I snap my eyes open and widen them at the sight I am seeing. Shikamaru has fallen from the trees to the ground. He is half burnt with a small gash on his right shoulder.

My heart drops. No, no, no. I find Hidan and I tense up. His whole body has turned black with white markings in random spots, making him look like a skeleton. He is standing on top of a completed Jashin symbol and seems to have taken on Asuma's fire attack head on. Whatever happened in that second I closed my eyes changes everything. Shikamaru somehow got struck by the scythe and now is on the receiving end of the jutsu by getting burnt. Hidan's pain is his pain. Hidan somehow was able to complete his symbol and begin his ritual. Asuma seems worn out and frustrated. This is all going downhill. At least Sakura, Norio, and Michi are alright and have hidden themselves in a further position, out of reach of Hidan's weapon. I jump down to Shikamaru's side as the smoke clears up. I see Asuma appear stunned at the sight of Hidan. Hidan uncovers his face with his hands and starts screaming something about pain and Jashin to him, probably explaining what just happened. Everyone seems to like to do that in the Naruto universe. I focus my attention on my teammate.

"Are you alright?" I ask, raising up his head. That part of him is, at least, not burnt.

He coughs and glances up weakly at me. "I'll live," he replies.

"What happened?" I demand. "I close my eyes for a few seconds and all hell breaks loose!"

"As the smoke began to gather, I notice the outline of that guy's weapon heading back towards our clients. I jump in the way to try to deflect it with a kunai. As I did so, it grazes my shoulder and suddenly retracts back. I thought it was weird since the guy has been continuously attacking us and just decides to stop. Before I could even think more of it, I felt an overwhelming burning sensation and immediately fell down in pain," Shikamaru explains and gives me a half smile. "Heh, how troublesome. This is the thanks I get for playing hero."

"The one time you decide to move," I tease halfheartedly as my mind begins to wonder.

Well, this is great. What do we do now? Shikamaru is a major part of the plan to restrain Hidan before the bastard decided to ruin it by nicking him with his stupid scythe. I guess it is time to release some information and hope he doesn't questions where I came up with it all of a sudden.

"I think I have a hunch as to why your body was suddenly burnt," I admit to him.

His ears perk up. "So, you thought of that, too?"

"Wait, what?"

"Were you going to say that it has something to do with the guy pricking my shoulder?" Shikamaru asks.

I'm glad Shikamaru is a genius. "Yes!" I say, probably a little to loud. "I mean, you said that you thought it was weird that he suddenly pulls back his weapon after finally making contact with one of us. He drew his symbol in his blood for a reason. Maybe he needs the blood of another person to be able to inflict pain onto them?"

Shikamaru shrugs and then winces from the movement. "It makes sense. As soon as the guy got burnt from Asuma's jutsu, I got burnt. The questions is, why would the guy take the risk of harming himself?"

"He could be immortal," I tell him, phrasing it as a joke.

Shikamaru frowns. "Let's hope not." He struggles to get up. "We need to hurry and tell Asuma about this and-Argh!"

He instantly drops back to the ground as he rushes both of his hands to his left side. Blood suddenly appears through his shirt and flows into the grass. I narrow my eyebrows. I am not dealing with this shit. He is not going to die in front of me. I pick up Shikamaru bridal style and hurry over towards the battlefield to join Asuma. I have no way, or time, to heal Shikamaru so I just set him down and will seek for medical attention later. I notice that Asuma is standing just a few feet away from Asuma with a conflicted expression resting on his face. I believe he was charging after Hidan when Hidan stabbed himself and then explained to Asuma what happened. That is the only reason I can think of for him to have such a look on his face.

Asuma senses our presence and jumps back to join us. "Are you okay, Shikamaru?" I can tell that Asuma is trying to remain calm, but I hear the concern in his voice. Shikamaru gives him a thumbs up in response and cringes.

"Do I even need to tell you what happened?" I ask.

Asuma shakes his head. "He told me everything." So, I was right. "I'm sorry. I didn't expect anything like this to happen on a C-ranked mission. I would've denied it in a heartbeat if I did."

I wave my hand, hinting to that we do not need an apology. "I mean, C's stand for catastrophe so at least we will be prepared for next time!" Even though I am just trying to lighten the mood, it does seem like the C-ranked missions I know contain catastrophe. Naruto's mission. This mission. I wonder if Team Eight will go through a similar experience?

Asuma ignores my lame joke, though he would have smiled in a normal situation. He opens his mouth to say something, but I decide to just cut to the chase. We need to end this fight now. I turn and look at Hidan. "How can you absorb and inflict pain on yourself like that?" I ask, appearing curious. "Are you immortal or something?"

I purposely phrased my question along those lines to get him to admit to it. Which, he does. "I mean, shouldn't it be obvious to you guys by now?" Hidan snorted. "Pretty generous gift that Jashin-sama has given me, isn't it? What do you think? Helps you understand the suffering of others a little more."

Asuma grits his teeth as I inhaled. This guy is psycho. "We need to stop him," Shikamaru mumbles. We both look down at him. "I can man up and handle any minor injuries if necessary as long as we can get this guy out of his circle. We need to take on the caster in order to stop his jutsu."

"It won't be easy," Asuma mumbles back as Hidan rambles on about his god. "He has a weapon that is suitable for all ranges that can be used both offensively and defensively to prevent him from moving so much. He can easily and quickly cause pain to himself without repercussions."

"We actually came up with-" I start.

"Whatever you three are planning is useless!" Hidan yells. "All the planning in the world will not stop me or the wrath of a god!" He raises up his pike. "Repent now and maybe Jashin-sama won't send you to the deepest parts of hell!"

"Hidan!" I hear Norio call out behind me. He runs over to us and stands in our way. W-what is he doing?!

Hidan pauses and lowers his arm. "Oh, it's you."

Asuma jumps in front of Norio and nudges him back towards us. "Where is Sakura? She's supposed to be-"

"I slipped away despite her arguments," Norio cuts in. He narrows his eyes behind his glasses. "I know this young man."

"And, you decide now to tell us that?" Shikamaru snaps.

"Shikamaru, calm down," Asuma says. Well, Shikamaru does have a reason to be annoyed. He is not in the best condition right now. Asuma stares at Norio. "How do you two know one another?"

"He has always been an acquaintance that I knew," Norio tells us. "He is from Yugakure and we live in the same neighborhood. He was an orphan growing up and I was one of the few people that didn't shun him. He was always seeking attention in negative ways and is known for his love of killing as a Shinobi. He often target practices on animals for "thrills". He wasn't too happy when Yugakure turned into a tourist village and I last remember him complaining, rather loudly, about it in the streets before Michi and I left."

Hidan steps into the conversation. "The only reason they converted into a tourist village is so they can gain more income. Who gives two fucks how much money they receive from their hotsprings?! That is showing nothing but greed and just proved to me that the village deserved to experience the Way of Jashin!" He smirks. "Which, they did. It is a good thing you and your brat left, actually."

Norio freezes up. "Why is that?" he asks, cautiously.

"The day after you did, I decided to give Jashin-sama his first batch of offerings from me and slaughtered our whole neighborhood!" Hidan proudly states. He begins to laugh maniacally and it sends chills down my spine as everyone stares at him in shock and despair. So, this is the nagging feeling that I was experiencing earlier! I remember now, which is a little too late. Shortly before defacing from Yugakure, Hidan did go on a massive killing spree. Since it was so recent, I wonder if the village is searching for him just yet?

"E-everyone? The whole entire neighborhood?" Norio asks in disbelief, but Hidan seems to not have heard him over his laughter. Poor guy. I hope he didn't have any family or friends living nearby.

"Was this guy part of the group of bandits that attacked you?" I ask him. Maybe in Hidan's early days, he ran around with a cult or something. It would be a good heads up if there are more like him running around.

Hidan seems to have selective hearing as he responds to my question. "Oh, them? Pssh. They were my second batch of offerings to Jashin-sama. They were very disrespectful to my god and I do not handle such blasphemy. Killing them was actually very pleasing!" Of course it was. You get off to pain you masochistic bastard. He shrugs. "But, I think I'm going to enjoy killing you guys even more. I like a challenge." He raises his pike up once more and we all tense up and became onguard. "Now, enough talking. Jashin-sama is growing very impatient with me! It is time for you to die!" He brings the pike down towards his heart as Asuma and I rush forward to stop him.

Two shurikens zoom out ouf the trees and hits the pike, knocking it off course. The pike, instead, stops inches away from Hidan's shoulder. He scowls in confusion as he look up to his left and we all follow his gaze. Two illusionary clones from Sakura spring out and heads towards Hidan. He boredly turns his attention back towards us and ignores the clones as they set upon him, ready to take on any pain. The first clone bursts into an explosion of cherry blossoms, which grabs his attention again since he is suspecting an actual attack. The second clone explodes after that in an actual explosion, mixing the smoke in with the cheery blossoms to impair his vision even more. All of us take the distraction as an opportunity to strike. I start to charge up my chakra scalpels and I run through the smoke. I navigate through with my Byakugan and find Hidan. Instead of attacking his, I raise my palm and slice through his pike, snapping it in two.

I toss the pieces aside and hop out of the way just as Asuma rushes head on and tackles Hidan with nothing but brute strength. They slightly move backwards before Hidan plants his feet firmly onto the ground to stop himself. They begin to struggle with one another as Asuma tries to push Hidan out of the circle while Hidan plans on staying. Hidan slowly starts to overpower our sensei and takes a couple of steps forward. He instantly stops moving, freezing on the spot as Shikamaru's shadow overtakes his body. Shikamaru forces Hidan to take a few steps back, closing in to the outer edges of the symbol. Almost there! My hope fades when Hidan breaks the connection, but replenishes when Asuma takes that brief moment to tackle his enemy once more and completely knocking him out of the symbol. Yes!

Asuma punches Hidan in the face and sweeps around to kick him, but he quickly backflips out of the way. He lands on the ground, with a pissed off look on his face, and reaches for his scythe to attack with. Unexpectedly, two hands rise above the ground underneath him and pulls him under, only allowing Hidan's head to be shown. I stop moving and blink in confusion for a second before I shake my head and activate my chakra scalpels once more. I charge towards him, drop down, and cleanly slice his head right off. Blood squirts on me as his head tumbles off to the side and stops a few feet away. Everybody grows silence as they probably didn't expect me to do that just now. Hey, that's the only way to stop him. Swiftly realizing what I had just done, and noticing Hidan's blood all over me, I promptly turn my head to the side and begin to vomit. God, this is such a disgusting sight.

Norio breaks the silence as he emerges from underground and walks over to check on me. "You okay?" he asks.

I wipe my mouth and nod. "That was a pretty neat jutsu you just did."

He scratches the back of his head. "Heh, well I never said that the jutsus I knew were meant for attacking. That is how my daughter and I got away from our bandits in the first place so I decided to see if it would work in this situation."

I am about to laugh, but more vomit comes out instead. Smoothe. Norio pretends to not notice as Asuma makes his way over to Hidan's head to make sure he's really dead. I ponder whether to tell him he is or not, but Hidan beats me to it. "Ow! Damn you, bitch!" Hidan yells at the top of his lungs, causing Asuma to hop back from being startled. "Fuck! This hurts like a son of a bitch!"

If anyone ever asks me what is the weirdest thing I have ever experienced, I will answer that a head without a body spoke to me once. We all look at each other in disbelief as Hidan continues to throw profanities at us. From far behind, I swear I hear a soft thud of a poor Sakura passing out at the sight of a talking bodiless Hidan. Nobody is ever going to believe this.

 **Author's Note: This chapter was a struggle for me to write for some reason. In my opinion, I do not write fighting scenes very well but I hope you all think otherwise! It may seem that Asuma didn't do a lot in this chapter, but he performed most of his badassery when Hinata, Shikamaru, and Sakura was coming up with their plan. I believe Team Ten would have had a much harder time with Hidan if Hinata didn't have the prior knowledge on him and charged in to attack without waiting around. Thank you everyone for getting his stories to over 500 followers! I never expected for it to get this much attention. I hope you all continue to stick around for the long run!**

 **Question: For the upcoming Chunin Exams, who would you all like to see face off and make it through in the second and third round matches?**

 **I have a layout already planned, but would like to read your thoughts and opinions. Chunin Exams, in my opinion, are really fun to read in a fanfic.**


	14. Chapter 14: Escort Arc

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Shocking, right?**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Escort Arc**

 **Chapter fourteen**

Okay, close your eyes. Don't look at the topple-sided head, who is able to speak and live without his body. Ignore him. Calm down. Clear your mind. Deep breaths.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

You cannot have a panic attack right now. You are still on a mission that needs to be completed. You are the one with the advantage from having hidden knowledge about Hidan and need to keep a rational mind to find moments to casually slip the information in. Focus on anything beside the bodiless immortal for now.

"I think Sakura just fainted," I announce as I sit down and ran a hand through my hair. Perfect subject to think about. "And, your daughter is freaking out."

Norio sighs. "She will be okay for the time being. She's already seen worse." Are you sure that this guy isn't really a Shinobi and not a current civilian? He is speaking like one. Norio glances over at Hidan. "Michi can be comforted later. What are we going to do with him?"

"Don't look at me you son of a bitch unless you're planning on reattaching my head back to my body!" Hidan snaps and Norio widens his eyes and averts them away.

I shut my eyes. Please stop talking.

Inhale. Exhale.

Both men are ignored as Asuma walks over to me and places a hand on my shoulder. "You okay?" he asks, giving me a concern look. I am a little touched that my mental state is top priority at the moment.

In any normal situation, this would have been considered my first kill. But, immortal bastard over there took that glory away from me so, no, I'm not okay.

Yes. Convince yourself that that is the reason why you are upset.

I open my eyes and shrug. "I am not going to be traumatized," I lie. "But, I am a little disgusted and shocked at the moment."

"It is normal to feel a mixture of emotions after your first kill," Asuma tells me. He briefly looks over at Hidan. "Well, you can take it upon yourself to decide whether you consider this your first kill or not. Most Genin do not experience something like this so I suggest trying to find a way to cope with this and just calm your mind. If you need to talk to anyone about it, I'm all ears."

In other words, I need to hurry and get over this so I can focus my attention back on the mission. I know that wasn't what Asuma meant, but it is kind of an unspoken rule. You do not want a Shinobi to completely lose control of their emotions while on a mission. Yeah, it sucks to have to kill another life, and I will probably have nightmares for the next few weeks now. But, it is part of being Shinobi and the more kills we commit the more we become immuned to it. Though, I do not think any sane person can be completely immune to killing.

I nod and only say, "Thank you, Asuma-sensei."

I do not want to talk about this anymore.

"Now, why don't you take Shikamaru and go check on Sakura and Michi?" Asuma suggests. "You or Sakura can perform first aid on Shikamaru. I'm going to have a little chat with our other client."

I really hope Norio didn't know about Hidan running rampage throughout the countryside and never mentioned it so the mission's ranking can be lower so he didn't have to fork out as much money. This would be really similar to Naruto's mission he is on right now. Then again, Norio seemed genuinely surprised to seeing Hidan, and neither of they acted like they had fought beforehand. Norio even mentioned that he saw Hidan last in his village before leaving it so I don't think Norio was hiding anything from us. If that is the case, why does Asuma want to talk to him alone?

"Yes, sir," I reply. I walk over towards my injured teammate and sweep him off of his feet, bridal style.

"This is embarrassing, you know?" Shikamaru whines as he rests his hands on his hurt side.

"Don't start your complaining," I tell him as we make our way slowly over towards Sakura's position. I do not want to go my normal speed to prevent Shikamaru's wound from reopening. I walk up the tree and propped Shikamaru up against it once we reached the branch. "Sees, that wasn't so bad."

"Tch, troublesome," Shikamaru grunts, rolling his eyes.

I set my focus on Michi and Sakura before I work on Shikamaru. "Are you okay?" I ask the little girl. She has just been in a frightening situation and just witnessed something gruesome. That is something a young girl shouldn't have to experience and I want to see how she is feeling.

She nods, but she is the opposite of okay. Her face is currently frozen in a mixture of terror, shock, and distraught, her eyes are bloodshot from crying, and her body is slightly quivering. "Y-your friend s-suddenly just fell o-over," she stammers. I'm surprised she can even speak in the emotional and mental state she is in.

I extend my hand out and smoothed her hair down to comfort her. "She will be fine," I assure her. "You know, you are a brave girl."

She widens her eyes. "I-I am?"

I wink at her. "You stayed hidden and quiet when you were supposed to, despite the situation."

"T-that is nothing s-special," she retorts softly.

I give her a melodramatic shake of my head. "No, really! By doing that, you saved your father. Most children your age would have screamed and gotten caught."

"R-really?" she asks, her face beginning to brighten up.

"Mhmm." I say, nodding.

She slightly relaxes her body and her facial features. "B-but, I was scared," she tells me. "That man yelled and c-cursed a lot. I didn't like that. And, that sharp w-weapon of his was scary also."

"Do you want to know a little secret?" I ask. Michi nods and I lean in closer to her ear. "I was scared, too. My whole team was."

Michi narrows her eyes. "What? No, you weren't," she accuses. "You fought the guy and even sliced his head off!" Well, she said that without any fear.

I grimace. "Yeah, don't remind me," I mumble before clasping my hands together. "However! While we did fight him, he still terrified all of us. Like you, we just put on a brave front and prevailed. You prevailed by staying quiet and protecting your father and we prevailed by fighting the bad guy. It was a teamwork situation!" Okay, I am totally just bullshitting by this point, but I am trying to make the little girl feel better.

I manage to break a small smile on Michi's face. "I guess I was brave," she says to me.

I give her a thumbs up. "That's the spirit!" I tell her. Shit, I am acting like Guy and Lee right now. "Now, can you do me a favor and try to wake up my friend? I need to heal my other one."

Michi frowns in worry. "Is he severely hurt?"

I give her a hopeful smile. "He will be fine," I reply, avoiding her question.

She doesn't seem to notice as she goes back to Sakura and begins to softly shake her. I head over towards Shikamaru and pull out the small first aid kit out of my backpack. I open it up and took out a rag, some alcohol, and some bandages. "This might burn a little," I tell Shikamaru as I pour a few drops of alcohol onto the rag.

"I'll live."

I lift up his shirt to rub the rag on his wound and he winces a little. Afterwards, I wrap up his side with the bandages and then I attempt the same method on his shoulder. He looks like a mummy now. "There! Good as new!"

He tugs on his bandages. "They are a little tight."

"Hn," I snort, pulling a Sasuke. "Like you can do any better."

"Actually, my clan possess a lot of knowledge in medicines and has developed many that has been very useful to the village," Shikamaru informs me, giving me a look of slight seriousness and amusement.

I give him a deadpanned stare all the while resisting the urge to smirk. Must he always find a way to up one me... and succeed?

"That doesn't prove to me that you can wrap bandages better," I retort back.

His expressions changes to boredom. "Yeah, whatever," he replies. I guess it takes to much effort for him to argue back with me.

Lazy ass.

"On a serious note, do you think this will hold you over until we reach Yugakure?" I ask.

"It should help stop the bleeding, which was the most important issue," Shikamaru tells me. "We aren't that far from the village so I can deal with some pain until then."

I nod. "Good."

"Are you going to be alright?" he questions, raising an eyebrow.

While I would rather avoid the question, and the topic altogether, I know he is just asking out of concern and as my comrade and friend. Plus, I am going to hear this question from Sakura, Norio, and probably a few other people once I get back to Konoha so I shouldn't really get too irritated by it.

"I'll live," I tell him. No need to sugarcoat it with a lie or fake answer. I doubt Asuma bought my lie earlier, but went along with it anyways. It's a simple response and Shikamaru is smart enough to know what I mean behind it and how I truly feel. No need to go into detail.

Shikamaru proves me right about my thoughts of him, as usual, by only nodding and saying, "Good."

From behind me, I hear Sakura mumbling and rising up. "It seems like our cherry blossom has finally awaken," I tell Shikamaru, forcing my tone of voice to be light-hearted. "You stay here and rest while I go check on her."

I make my way over to my female teammate and sit down next to her. Michi gives me a relieved look. "I woke her up," she proudly proclaims.

I give her a smile of approval. "Great!" I look at Sakura. "You kind of scared her by suddenly fainting like that."

Sakura grows embarrassed. "Sorry," she replies. "I didn't mean to! It was just… well, you know… you…"

I hold up my hand. "I didn't say it was wrong of you to pass out. We all understand your reasoning for it. You do not have to explain yourself."

Sakura sighs. "Good. I don't even want to think or talk about that!" Then, she gives me a worried glance. "But, are you-"

"I'll live," I quickly answer. Hey, she said she didn't want to talk about it. Plus, I don't want Michi to get involved in such a conversation.

Sakura frowns. "How can you say that when-"

While Shikamaru accepts things, Sakura likes to question them. "Thank you," I cut in, causing her to widen her eyes. "I appreciate your concern, but, like you, I do not wish to think or talk about it right now. I'll live." I give her a reassuring smile for affect.

Sakura gives me a disapproving look, obviously not satisfied with my answer. "Well, okay. If you say so."

I look at her head to change the subject. "Does your head hurt? We don't want you to have a concussion or anything."

Sakura shakes her head. "I feel fine."

"Good," I say as I activated my Byakugan for a split second. "Now that I am done playing doctor, I think we should head back over to Asuma. He seems to be done speaking with Norio."

Sakura rasies her eyebrows. "Did he want to talk to him alone or something?"

"Yes, but I don't know why," I tell her. "If you will get Michi, I will grab Shikamaru."

We pick up our respectable companions and walk down the tree and over to Asuma and Norio. They seem to have dug out Hidan's body during their talk and Asuma is holding the man by his hair as he screeches in pain. Deep down, I wished Asuma knew that Hidan killed him in the anime/manga. He would be taking such pleasure in causing him pain right now.

"Are you deaf?! Put me down, bastard! That hurts!" Hidan yells as we approach them. He notices my presence and scowls. "And, you! You're the bitch that caused this! The wrath of Jashin is going to come upon you so hard that you will be begging for mercy and repent! I am going to kill you at the next possible chance I get!"

I feel Shikamaru tense of in my arms at Hidan's words as Asuma swings Hidan's head back and forth. "Oops, sorry," Asuma casually the immortal. "Had a muscle spasm."

"Agh! Stop that!" Hidan yells some more.

"This guys is giving me a headache," Shikamaru states, rubbing his temples.

"Inhale. Exhale," I say out loud.

Shikamaru looks up and gives me an odd look. "Huh? Me? What are you talking about?"

Wait, I was suppose to say that in my head. "Nevermind," I quickly say and give him a nervous giggle.

Shikamaru rolls his eyes and directs his attention to Asuma. "What are we going to do about him?"

"I was thinking about sealing his body and head in one of Hinata storage scrolls that she thoughtfully brought on this mission," Asuma replies, look over at me.

I take the compliment and stick my tongue out at Shikamaru for trying to show me up earlier and he rolls his eyes once more. "I have a couple of empty ones that we can seal him in," I informed my sensei, looking back at him. "We will probably have to separate his head and body since my scrolls aren't large enough to fit both of them."

"Fuck no!" Hidan shouts. "You are not putting me in some damn scroll!"

"We will have to do something about his weapons," I continue, ignoring him. "I will not have any room for them."

"We can destroy then," Sakura suggests as she drops Michi so the girl can reunite with her father. "That scythe is dangerous and gives me the creeps." She shudders for emphasize.

"You will not do such a thing!" Hidan hollars, veins starting to bulge out of his head from the stress of his anger.

I guess if he can still talk then his internal parts in his head can still, somehow, function without his body.

"I think we should hold on to them for the time being," Asuma insists. "While they are dangerous, they are powerful weapons and can be quite useful. Maybe one of you can train and learn how to wield the scythe." Pfft. Not me. "Maybe like Hinata." Of course he says me. "It can be an improvement in your long range tactics since you are a close range fighter."

"I think I will stick with my kunai and wire," I say. I don't want to possess anything that belongs to Hidan.

Asuma shrugs. "Eh, it was just a suggestion. Anyways, let's seal him up."

"Are you going to be okay if I put you down for a few minutes why I get my scrolls?" I ask Shikamaru.

He scoffs. "I'm not a baby. You don't have to keep carrying me around."

"Awhh, but you whine like one," I reply as I gently let go of him and he stands next to me.

I see everyone smirk at my comment, even getting Hidan to snort. Shikamaru turns slightly red and looks away. "Why do you always have to act so troublesome towards me?"

"The same reason as to why the sky is blue and the grass is green," I tell him as I pull out two scrolls out of my backpack.

"Great. Now you're answering me in riddles," Shikamaru says. He looks over at Sakura. "I hereby denounce you as the "Troublesome Woman". Hinata has won that title now."

Sakura shifts her eyes over to her teammate. "Gee, thanks, Shikamaru."

I spread out the scrolls on the ground. Asuma sets down Hidan's head on top of the scroll and begins to weave some hand signs. "Do not fucking put me in that scroll! I will make you regret it!" Hidan warns.

Asuma finishes his signs and lifts up a finger. The scroll lights up as Hidan's head sinks into the scroll. Hidan starts to curse loudly and screams about Jashin, causing Norio to cover his daughter's ears, until he is silenced by completely emerging into the scroll.

"Let's keep him in there forever," I hear Sakura mumbles as Asuma drags Hidan's body over to the other scroll and seals it.

Asuma rolls up the scrolls and tucks it in his own backpack for safe keeping. "Shall we continue our path to Yugakure?" he asks as if none of the recent moments had occurred and we had stopped to take a break instead.

"What we are going to do about Hidan?" I question.

"Norio and I had a discussion about that," Asuma replies.

I wait on him to elaborate, but he never does. Instead, I sigh and follow my teammates actions into getting ready to travel again. I stick out my hands towards Shikamaru. "Ready to be carried?" Shikamaru just stares at me. "Would you rather have a piggyback ride?"

"I can walk, thanks," Shikamaru tells me and proves so by walking away from me.

Humph. Party pooper.

All of a sudden, an eerie feeling of be watched overwhelms and I instantly go on guard, triggering my Byakugan to scan my surroundings. Strange. I do not see anything out the ordinary.

But, instincts like these do not just hit a Shinobi out of the blue for no reason.

If I want to be paranoid, I can start overanalyzing the small black crow that is perched naturally on a branch, cocking its head to the side and shifting its wings. Sure, it looks and acts like a normal crow. However, I can start assuming that it is actually Itachi spying on me. Which can be indicating to me that the Akatsuki is nearby and some of the members are searching to recruit Hidan.

But, that's if I wanted the paranoia to takeover.

And, I think it is what I will allow to happen.

"What's wrong?" Asuma demands with concern and alert in his voice as he notices my Byakugan.

Though, I cannot logically admit this information out loud. Despite the fact I know things that the others do not, I could be thinking too cautiously and it is just a normal crow.

I relax my body posture as I deactivate my Byakugan. "I thought I sensed something, but I was wrong," I tell him, not knowing if I am telling a lie or not. "It is only a bird."

Asuma gives me a suspicious look. "Are you sure?"

I nod. "Yes. I guess I am just still shaken up by that guy." Asuma drops his stern look and nods in understanding. "I'm just going to create a Shadow Clone to check out what my Byakugan cannot see, just incase there is anymore like him running around."

"It makes sense," Asuma say. "Whatever help eases your mind." Good. He is seeing this as one of the coping mechanisms he suggested I find earlier.

I make a cross with four fingers and a Shadow Clone appears beside of me and runs into the depths of the forest. We all take that moment to turn and continue our trek towards Yugakure without another word while I silently pray that my Shadow Clone doesn't come across Itachi and whoever else is keeping him company.

* * *

Despite what Asuma had said earlier about arriving early the next morning, we actually reached Yugakure in about eight hours. We had traveled a little faster than the civilian's pace that we were doing to get here faster so Shikamaru can get properly treated. We weren't going fast enough to where it reopened his wounds or gave him chronic pain and Asuma and Norio took turns piggybacking him when he felt tired or was hurting. When I offered to carry him, he politely refused and made some comment about he shouldn't be relying on a girl for this type of thing.

Pshhh. Men and their pride.

After getting looked at, Shikamaru's wounds coming out to be nothing fatal, Norio booked us a room at an inn since his house will not sleep all six of us. Since it was night time when we finally arrived at the village, we were tired and retired for the night, deciding to handle Hidan and the exploring of Yugakure and it's hot springs in the morning.

We wake up the next morning to eat breakfast and get ready for the day.

"I am meeting up with Norio and some other officials in the village to see what we should about the guy," Asuma tells us as we finished eating. "Norio's daughter is going to show you three around the village and visit the hot springs. She should be on her way here as I speak. The hot springs and lunch will be at the expense of Norio so be sure to thank him later."

"We aren't going with you?" Sakura asks. "Isn't our reports going to be needed?"

"Remember, Yugakure is not considered a Shinobi village anymore even though there are a few active Shinobi living here," Asuma explains to us. "They are not going to need every person present to give every single detail that happened during our fight. They are going to want the person in charge and Norio, because he witnessed the fight and he is a villager here, to explain the major details. Afterwards, they will decide what will happen to Hidan, though I already have a feeling what."

We wait for him to elaborate more, but he doesn't. He is really bad for that.

"So, you're not going to tell us your feeling?" I ask.

Asuma takes a puff of his cigarette and blows out. "You'll find out. For now, just enjoy your day and we will meet back at our client's house later this afternoon." He gives us a wave and uses _Body Flicker_ to leave the room.

"I wonder what the verdict is going to be," I wonder aloud.

I really hope we don't have to take Hidan back to Konoha with us. What if we run into the Akatsuki? My Shadow Clone hasn't dissipated yet since I created her yesterday. I haven't received any sudden barrage of memories so I know she hasn't.

Though, I did have a strange dream last night now that I think about it.

I had been running through the forest and the full moon above me was beautifully illuminating the night sky. The constellations surrounded the moon were glistened brightly and I was having the urge to allow the mysteries of the celestials to captivate my attention and lie down to watch them. I was actually about to do so when a noise of leaves snapping shattered the spell I was under. I instantly stop moving and hid underneath a bush with ears perked and Byakugan activated. My eyes widened as I found the people who were making the soft noises. Three people in black cloaks with blood red clouds on them were striding slowly through the forest: a tall dark haired young man, a shorter older man with green eyes, and a petite woman with short blue hair. Itachi, Kakuzu, and Konan.

I had tensed up and held my breath in hopes of not being noticed. My actions seemed to have failed me as Itachi abruptly stops and turns to glare in my direction, Sharingan awakened. Kakuzu and Konan say something to Itachi, but I cannot hear them. Probably along the lines of "Is something wrong" and "I almost ran into you. Stop like that again and I'll kill you". I see Itachi slightly shrug and mumble his own string of words before the trio continues on their path.

When they are out of view, I close my eyes and I let out the breath I had been holding in relief. Good, they had not noticed me. I open up my eyes and freeze on the spot. Two red eyes were staring into my lavender ones and I suddenly felt my mind try to go into a trance, but it failed. Was he trying to use genjutsu on me? It doesn't seem to be working. I seen Itachi's stone cold face twitch slightly in what seemed to me confusion before he raises up his arm, revealing a kunai in hand. Feeling as if I'm about to die, I gather the thought process of wanting to get out of here and Itachi and the forest dissolves around me and then everything goes black.

And then I woke up.

Was that really just a dream or had my Shadow Clone dissipated while I was asleep and the memories were flooding back to me as I slept, making it look like a dream?

I widen my eyes and freeze up.

Oh my God. What if my Shadow Clone really did see Itachi, Konan, and Kakuzu and Itachi had caught her?

Shit. Shit. Shit.

What do I do?

Sakura stretches, not seeming to notice my change in body language. "Whatever it is, we will find out later like Asuma-sensei said. I don't know about you guys, but I am so ready to hit those hot springs! I want to experience how famous these hot springs really are."

Shikamaru shrugs. "They are probably just hyped up and are actually just regular hot springs like the ones back at home."

There is a sudden knock on our door.

"Michi will be able to give us an answer!" Sakura says excitedly as she skips over to the door, but I pull her back.

"Wait!" I hiss as I step in front of her and Shikamaru.

They both blink. "Why did you do that for?" Sakura snapped.

"Sssh," I tell her. I trigger my bloodline and see Michi standing on the other side of the door, waiting for someone to answer it. I expand my vision to see if I can see any Akatsuki member or crows or paper butterflies or anything suspicious. Nothing. I deactivate my Byakugan. "Okay, you can open it."

"Sheesh, Hinata!" Sakura exclaims. "Scaring us like that! You've been on edge since yesterday! Our first stop is definitely going to be the hot springs. It will help calm you down."

I do not say anything back as Shikamaru just raises his eyebrow at me as Sakura opens the door for Michi. "Sorry for the prolonged wait!" she apologizes. "We were just... doing some last minute packing."

Michi looks around and gives us a cute smile. "That's alright! I am here to show you guys around Yugakure today! Where would you all like to do first?"

* * *

Twenty minutes later, I am submerging myself into the hot springs and my body falls in love within the first second. The water is super hot, but not hot enough to boil my skin. In fact, it actually seems to be purifying it, along with the rest of me. On our walk to the springs, Michi had told us why the hot springs are a major tourist attraction. The springs can quickly replenish chakra reserves and cure any minor illness or wounds that a person may have. While Shikamaru wounds are considered moderate, the springs are going to hit the spot for him and help heal him. The springs also have the power to put its visitors in a relaxed state of mind, making you forget all of your worries.

That is the only power at the moment that is not working for me. Maybe it is just because I am not allowing myself to succumb to it.

I keep on thinking about my eerie feeling yesterday, the crow, and my "dream". They all must have a connection to Itachi. It is just too coincidental.

I get a bad feeling, I see a crow, I send my clone to scout at the area, and I have a "dream" in my sleep of seeing myself running through the forest and coming across Itachi, Kakuzu, and Konan.

I am one thousand percent sure that my Shadow Clones tumbled upon them last night and Itachi managed to somehow catch her watching them. But, it didn't' seem like he alerted the others of her whereabouts. I know Itachi is technically good and all, but I'm not supposed to know that.

Why would he tell his comrades one thing and then secretly confront me with an attempt of genjutsu?

Was he trying to mess up my mind and torture me?

Or was he trying to it seem like I was seeing things or somehow make me forget that I saw them for my own safety?

Whatever he was trying to do, he obviously knew it was only a Shadow Clone since she didn't fall under his Sharingan.

The logical thing for him to do would be to find and kill me before I blab to someone that I had seen him. Or he could be relying on the fact that the real me could have been asleep and that it could all have been just a dream that I only had.

But, he wouldn't take such a risk. If he didn't have the heart to kill me, being one of Sasuke's best friends and all, he would somehow get another member to.

Great, that's a wonderful thing to think about.

I keep screwing up the timeline and changing things without meaning to.

I am such a terrible Naruto fan.

"You don't seem to be enjoying yourself," an unfamiliar voice says to me.

I jump, startled, and look over to see an elderly woman with grey eyes soaking next to me. When did she get here? I cast my eyes over to Sakura and Michi and notice that they are only ten feet away from me, caught up in their own little worlds with their eyes closed.

I drown the annoying feeling that was trying to push its way up and give the stranger a fake smile. "I really am! I'm just lost in thought, that is all."

Calm down. She is probably just wanting to make innocent small talk before letting the spell of the hot springs take her over. Old people like to talk and be nosey.

The woman seems unconvinced. "You are at the hot springs, little girl. You should be relaxing, not fretting."

I will relax when you move away from me, lady. "I am fine. Really! But, I will take your advice. Thank you for it."

I drift a couple of inches away from her and quickly snap my eyes shut. I feel the sensation of her scooting closer to me. Has this elder ever heard of personal space and minding her own business? What the hell does she want?

"It is nice to see the youngins of today are traveling the world to broaden their horizons," the woman continues as I resisted an irritated sigh. "Where are you from, lassie?"

I narrow my eyes at her. "How do you know I am from outside the village?"

She gives me a grin, the crinkles stretching across her face from the aftermath. "I have lived here my whole life and I have never seen you around before."

Oh. Well, I feel a little stupid. Though, this woman is stupid for bothering me.

Damn. Why am I so ill all of a sudden? I never get angry this quick.

"I am just passing through with my friends and one of their uncles," I tell her, not really answering her question.

The woman frowns. "You ignored my question and just lied to me. You are being very rude right now."

My eyebrows twitch. How the hell did she know I was lying?

"I am sorry, but I do not know what you are talking about?" I say to her.

The elderly woman glares at me with such killer intent that I take step back and avert my eyes in order to avoid being paralyzed with fear. I wildly look around, but everyone, including Sakura, seems to be at peace still.

Why isn't anyone else picking up on this?!

"You lied to me, again!" the woman raises her voice at me. "That it is a sin. In fact, you have committed a lot of sins recently and I am not very pleased."

"W-what the hell are you talking about?" I stammer, taking another step back.

Suddenly, the world dissolves around me and I find myself floating over a pit of flames. All below me is flames and above me is nothing but eternal darkness. The elderly woman is gone and in place of her is the most beautiful yet terrifying man I have ever laid my eyes on. He is tall and slender with no clothes on and has long black hair that cascades down to his waist with piercing emerald eyes, a sharp nose, and a small mouth with thin delicate lips. Those are the parts that made him beautiful. What contradicts that is same manic smile that Hidan had resting on his head and that same insane look in his eyes. His pale skin seems to be melting in some places and dripping with blood in others all the while having the symbol of Jashin embedded in his stomach. Two large wings of blood extend out of his back as a tail of flesh swung from behind. Where his arms and legs should is nothing but straight veins and bones and a black aura engulfs his entire being.

"You should have repented and gave in to my Way when my follower commanded you to!" the man yells, glaring a hole through me. "If you had, I would have spared your life and created you anew, allowing you to follow under my Way! Instead, you committed blasphemy, interrupted my follower's ritual, and proceed to attack him! I WILL NOT FORGIVE SUCH SINS!"

"Who are you?! Where am I?!" I scream back at him. I try to move towards him, but my body will not obey.

The man glowers. "YOU DARE TO MAKE A FOOL OUT OF ME, ASKING WHO I AM?! I AM JASHIN! THE UNMERCIFUL GOD OF DESTRUCTION AND DEATH WHO IS SENDING YOU TO HELL!"

I feel myself trembling in fear. This guy's killing intent is so strong that it is making me want to commit suicide just to get away from it.

This man is Jashin? Jashin is actually real?!

"No, no, no, no," I hear myself whisper as I feel my mind slip and I being to pull at my hair.

Jashin seems to be enjoying the torture he is putting me through with his simple glare. "IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO BE PUNISHED FOR YOUR SINS!"

The god suddenly appears before me and begins to wrap his flesh like tail around my body as he strokes my head with his veins and bones. Blood begins to drip onto my cheek and slowly begins to spread all over my body, as if it is trying to swallow me up. Without warning, my vision in my left eye is gone and Jashin is holding the eyeball in his "hand". He rolls the eye around before popping it like a water balloon and all I can do is watch with my remaining eye. I feel nothing but complete fear and emptiness. Piece by piece he begins to decapitate me until only my right eye is left. I watch as he takes my dismantled body parts and proceeds to do inhumane things with them such as eating them, breaking them into smaller pieces, spurting the fluids and blood on himself, and tossing the leftovers into fire below me. He picks up my eye and looks into it with a ridiculous smirk before tossing me into his mouth and chomps his teeth down, causing me to explode into nothing.

That quick second of nothingness that I am in turns into a slightly different scene. I am nailed to a cross and I am completely attached again, but I am hovering over the pit of fire and Jashin is still in front of me. He has many small nails floating around him. He waves his hand and one by one the nails starts to impale me all over my body. Once again, I experience only a mixture of fear and emptiness as I feel my my left eye being punctured, my heart being stabbed, and my lips being pricked. A small batch of nails manages to squeeze their way through my lips, actually, and begins to puncture my insides until I looked like nothing more than a voodoo doll.

A few more tortuous situations went underway such as repeatedly getting my head chopped off, having my skin melted off, and being burned alive until something finally hit me.

I do not feel any pain and I should be long dead by now.

I think I am under a genjutsu.

I begin to resist the current torture session that is going on, being taking apart piece by piece again, and struggle to move my body. I can't. I must be under a strong genjutsu.

I feel my left slowly being to rise on my own free will and then my right. My missing legs seem to have miraculously grew back and I was not missing an eye anymore.

Move! Move! Move!

Each time I am able to move a body limb, the flames below begin to grow smaller and parts of Jashin begin to fade away.

 _Hinata…_

 _Hinata…_

Who's calling my name?

I notice Jashin's face contort in anger again and he unleashes his killer intent unexpectedly on me once more.

Murderous scenes begin flashing through my head as I witness myself going through the torture sessions and I vomit in disgust. I see scenes of me grabbing various weapons and hacking off different parts of my body and just committing suicide over and over again.

I scream in terror as I begin to pull on my hair again.

 _Hinata!_

 _Hinata!_

Stop saying my name!

 _Hinata!_

 _Hinata!_

Please, just let me die!

 _Hinata! No, wake up!_

I can't!

 _KAI!_

I feel myself being sucked upwards and then there is darkness.

 **Author's Note: Sorry for the late posting. I have been sick but I hoped you enjoy this chapter!**


	15. Chapter 15: Escort Arc

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Escort Arc**

 **Chapter fifteen**

And then I went back into the fiery pits of hell with Jashin. Except, the scene was not as gruesome this time around. I was not the victim of anymore torture methods nor did I experience anymore of my body parts melting off. It was just me and Jashin hovering over the flames.

I am still terrified, but not as bad as a few moments ago when I heard my name being called.

I wonder who was calling out my name?

I see Jashin's eyebrows knitted together and his face stuck in that same fearsome glare as it tries to pierce a hole through me. He opens his mouth as if he is shouting, but I cannot hear words so my reaction is to appear puzzled, which seems to enrage him even more.

He flies towards and wraps his veins around my neck, attempting to strangle me. He towers over me and the black aura surrounding his body flows through my nostrils and spreads across my body like a poisonous smog. I want to fight back, but I am still unable to move. Jashin bores his emerald eyes into my lavender ones as I feel the veins constrict around my neck tighter and tighter.

Once again, I feel no pain.

I have to be in a genjutsu. I just have to be! According to Hidan's ramblings, Jashin does not sound like the most merciful god when it comes to damning his sinners.

I wish I could just move so I can fight back. I cannot even channel an ounce of chakra to my eyes to activate my Byakugan to determine if this is actually a genjutsu or not.

After being caught in this chokehold for who knows how long, my surroundings begin to slowly dissolve away. The veins wrapped around me sprinkle away into black dust along with the rest of Jashin. He does not seem too concerned as he continues to look murderous until he is completely gone. The scene changes darkness and flames to lightness and a silhouette stands in front of me. My vision is very disoriented though so everything is hazy at the moment. I get the urge to blink my eyes and I do.

Oh! I can finally move my body again.

Or, so I thought. It appears I am still restricted as blinking and being able to slightly move my head are the only things I am capable to do right now.

As I continue to blink my eyes to better my vision, the silhouette in front of me grows a little clearer. I cannot make out what he looks like, but he seems to have dark hair and a familiar presence.

Wait, how do I know that this silhouette is a he?

Why am I sensing Sasuke right now?

Is that him? Why would he be here?

I try to call out his name, but my voice is low and raspy. Is that from being choked earlier? I didn't feel any pain then.

I call out his name again and the silhouette tilts his blurred head to the side.

I am engulfed into eternal darkness again only to resurface to the light again what seems like seconds later. I do not see the silhouette anymore and my vision is perfect again as I find myself staring at a very bright full moon in the night sky. The scene changes over to a girl, who looks exactly like me, running through a familiar forest as I watch from the distance. The girl suddenly stops and hides underneath a bush as she spots three figures in dark robes with red clouds on them walk ahead of her.

Wait, am I watching my Shadow Clone's memories or am I dreaming?

I watch myself tense up and stay as quiet as possible as one of the figures, Itachi, turns around and looks directly into my clone's eyes. After a brief discussion with his comrades, they stride off and my clone closes her eyes and sighs in relief. In the split second her eyes are closed, I notice Itachi suddenly pop out of nowhere in front of my clone. She opens her eyes and stares into Itachi's red ones. When he fails to cast her under a genjutsu, he raises his arm up, kunai in hand, and plunges the weapon into my heart. I watch my clone cough up blood and crumple to the ground. Itachi glances around before disappearing into the night.

This isn't what I dreamt, or saw from my Shadow Clone's memory (I still have not decided which of the two it is yet), last night. In my dream, I was looking through my own eyes and seeing everything from my perspective. This time, I am seeing things as if I am watching a movie. And, the ending is different this time around. I disappeared last time and then woke up, but I watched myself actually get stabbed and die this time. Is that what happened the first time? When the forest dissolved around me last time, I thought that I was just escaping. I guess I didn't realize I got stabbed and was actually dying.

But, why am I seeing this all again? Am I dreaming again or am I under a genjutsu? I pinch myself and felt slight pain. I guess I am not in a genjutsu. But, I feel to aware right now to be in a dream even though I cannot move. Plus, can you even feel pain in a dream? I guess the pain from pinching myself could be prove that one can.

My surroundings change again as I am staring at a white ceiling this time. I lay there for a few moments, but nothing happens. I wait some more. Nothing. Am I finally awake? Am I finally by in reality? I hesitate for a moment before I try to lift a finger and it raises. I lift my other fingers and curl my toes before concluding that I am not paralyzed anymore. I activated my Byakugan to see where I am at before I get up and notice that I am in our room at the inn with Shikamaru laying on the separate bed beside of me with his arms resting underneath his head and his eyes shut.

I do not see any signs of genjutsu, meaning I seem to be out of the one I was just in. If it even was one. I also don't see Sasuke or sense the presence of that silhouette either. If it was a genjutsu, how did I end up in one in the first place?

Was it from that old woman?

But, she seemed to have melt into the genjutsu along with the rest of my surroundings at the time.

What is going on?

I deactivate my Byakugan and sit up and stretched out my limbs, wincing at the pounding from the headache that just overcame me. Shikamaru quickly jumps up from my movement, but relaxes when he realizes it is only me. Still feeling a little out of it, I look around the room dazed and blink in confusion.

"You're finally awake," Shikamaru says to me as if I was being a burden, but the worried look on his face reads otherwise.

I narrow my eyes. "What happened to me?"

Shikamaru shrugs. "None of us has a clue. Sakura said that you scared her when you suddenly started shouting in pure terror and failing around in the water. Then, your body went limp and you fell face first into the water, almost drowning yourself."

I widen my eyes. So, it seems that nothing happened to Sakura or Michi while I was facing off with Jashin. They were still chilling in the hot springs. "Anything else?" I ask.

Shikamaru's face grows serious. "You wouldn't wake up. Sakura deemed you under a genjutsu after checking over you and repeated your name to snap you out of it before attempting to break you out herself. She tried several times, but nothing was working. You would not wake up and instead started to scream and flail around again. Then, our client's daughter suggested the craziest thing."

He politely paused so I could take a guess, but I am not in the mood to play such games. "What?" I demanded.

"The girl tells Sakura to submerge your body underwater and hold you down there for two minute intervals," Shikamaru tells me. "Sakura refused at first, but had to give in when the girl started to hold down your body herself. After doing this method a few times, you suddenly calmed again. Michi explained that since the hot springs are meant to relax your mind, body, and soul, she thought this might help you stop the yelling and thrashing."

I raise my eyebrows. "Wow, Michi did that?" She's pretty smart to have such critical thinking skills at her age and is able to stay calm under intense situations. The fight with Hidan proved that.

Shikamaru nods. "You've been out for about three hours now and we have been watching you since."

"That's not so long," I say. "Where's Sakura and Michi at right now?"

"They left about twenty minutes ago to go find Asuma," Shikamaru replied.

"Do they even know where he is at?" I ask.

Shikamaru shrugs. "The girl thinks she has a clue as to where they could be."

"Oh, okay," I say.

He leans against the wall. "So, was your genjutsu about Sasuke?"

"Huh? What do-"

"You kept repeating his name over and over while you were out."

I feel my face grow red. "Oh, you heard that?" How embarrassing.

Shikamaru rolls his eyes "You girls and your Sasuke."

I widen my eyes. "Wait! My face is not red because I like Sasuke!"

"I never claimed that you did."

"But, you implied it!"

"Well, you are always around him," Shikamaru points out.

"Yeah, so?" I reply. "You're just jealous that I didn't call out your name."

"Tch, whatever," Shikamaru grunts.

"But, that genjutsu wasn't the most pleasant thing that I have ever experienced," I admit.

Shikamaru raises an eyebrow. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I shake my head. "I will wait until the others come." I don't want to retell it twice.

"Gotcha."

Asuma, Sakura, Norio, and Michi all arrive back at the inn about thirty minutes later and I launched into my story about my experience with Jashin. My mind seem to still be in a calm state from the hot springs so luckily no gory memories flooded back to me as I retold the genjutsu and I tried to avoid said gruesome details as well.

"So, you thought it was a genjutsu as well?" Sakura asks.

I nod. "Yeah, because I didn't feel any pain." Was she even listening to me?

Sakura takes a deep breathe. "I thought so, but I was concerned when I couldn't break you out of it. I can release any small genjutsu and a couple of medium ranked genjutsu. But, I could just tell that this was a very advanced genjutsu. I am just baffled as to how you got into one in the first place and Michi and I did not."

"If you saw Jashin then it must have something to do with that guy we fought with," Asuma says, mostly to himself. He seems to be deep in thought.

"But, he has been sealed up in the scroll the whole time," Shikamaru points out. "And, he's without a body. How can he even cast a genjutsu?"

I reflected back to yesterday's events. We fought Hidan, I decapitated him, he yelled a lot, and we sealed him. I do not recall him making any hand signs for a genjutsu, heck even for a visual or sound genjutsu. Even if he did without us noticing, Sakura would've instantly alarmed us and my Byakugan would've sought it out.

"Why don't I just pop Hidan's head out of the scroll and ask him myself?" I ask Asuma.

Asuma signs. "While that's a good idea, he won't cooperate with you."

I raise an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Norio cleared his throat. "During our meeting, he wasn't the most pleasant person to interrogate."

I roll my eyes. Of course Hidan would be trouble.

"Did you at least get information about him murdering his neighbors?" Sakura asks.

Norio crosses his arms. "The officials got enough information to go along with the evidence they have already gathered. He basically told them the same reason that he told us. Though, we had to keep redirecting him back on topic because all he wanted to do is talk about his god."

"No, I think Hinata should talk to the freak," Shikamaru states to everyone. "The genjutsu she was in involved his god damning her. He would love to have a conversation about that and would get a good kick out of how tortured and frightened she was."

"That is true," Asuma comments.

"I would just like to know how I got under a genjutsu without him being present," I say to Asuma, trying to get him to give in. "I will only need five minutes with him while you guys stand in the hallway or something. If anything goes wrong, I can always kick him around like a ball."

"Or, you can just call me in and I will seal him back up," Asuma insists, giving me a funny look.

I sigh in disapproval. I like my idea better.

"Actually, if you don't mind, I would like to steal one of your students for a few hours," Norio says to Asuma.

"Are you wanting to do what we talked about earlier with him?" Asuma asks. Shikamaru's ears perk up at the word "him".

"What are you two talking about?" Shikamaru questions. I can tell he doesn't want to do anything but lay down on the bed right now.

Norio beckons him over with his hand. "Come with and you will find out." He smiles.

Asuma nods. "Go head, Shikamaru. We are meeting back up at his house anyways for dinner tonight."

Sakura raises her eyebrows. "Oh, are we not leaving today? Our mission is complete."

"Would you rather sleep tonight on a comfy bed and take a hot shower or leave early and camp out in the forest tonight?" Asuma asks her, smirking.

Sakura shakes her head. "Nevermind!" she squeaks.

Norio laughs. "Well, in that case, I will see you guys tonight at my house. Come on, Shikamaru. I promise this will be worth it and not troublesome to you."

Shikamaru gives a small smile as our client says that. "I will hold you up to that." They wave to us as they leave the room.

Michi grabs Sakura's hand. "When your friend is done, I want to take you around the shops in the village! You will love them."

Sakura's eyes brighten up. "I am always up for some shopping!"

"I actually need to keep Hinata here with me for a while," Asuma tells the little girl. "But, she may go find and join you guys when we are done."

Michi doesn't seem fazed. "That's okay! We will be in the center of the village, but you can use your visual powers to find is."

Damn, this girl and her father are an observant bunch. They would've made great Shinobi. I guess the scholar path is better for them.

Her and Sakura live the room, leaving Asuma and I alone.

"Are you sure you don't want me in the room with you?" Asuma asks me as he sets the scroll down on the ground.

I nod. "I am positive. I believe I can get more of a reaction out of him if I am alone."

"Just making sure," Asuma says. He rolls out the scroll, weaves a few handsigns, and slams his hand on the ground. "Have fun." He _Body Flickers_ out of the room.

I look down as Hidan's head appears from the scroll in a cloud of smoke. He coughs and looks around, irritated. When he notices me, he widens his eyes and scrunches his face up. "What the hell are you doing here?! You're not supposed to be here!"

I narrow my eyes. "So, you did cast that genjutsu on me." I knew it.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Hidan snarls. "I didn't cast a damn genjutsu on you, bitch."

My eyebrow slightly twitches at the insult, but I keep my composure. "Then, why did I see an illusion of your god?"

"Jashin-sama is not an illusion! Do not make a mockery of him!" Hidan shouts.

"Okay, if it was not an illusion, how was I able to see him?" I ask, humoring him.

"Pfft," Hidan snorts. "Like I'm going to reveal that to you."

Of course you won't. "Why? I thought you would want to boast how I was able to and how lucky I am to even get to see? Are you ashamed of him?"

"No," Hidan growls. "It is sacred."

"I will tell you how bad he tortured me," I continue. "And, let me tell you, he did some pretty horrifying things to me. He showed no mercy."

"He must've shown some mercy on you since you are still alive and not rotting in hell," Hidan retorts. "He must have deemed you as a worthy sacrifice and wants me to handle you myself later."

"Why would he see me as a worthy sacrifice?" I ask. "What benefits does he get from a sacrifice like me?"

"He gets really powerful." Well, that's vague.

"I bet he does," I say, trying to stroke his ego. "Does he get more power by the amount of blood you shed or how strong your opponent?"

Hidan grits his teeth. "I'm not answering any of your questions!"

"If I guess, will you-"

"No!" Hidan roars. "If you don't shut up, I will send you back to Jashin-sama so he can deal with you! I don't know why he didn't in the first place!"

He's basically implying that he can cast a genjutsu on me right now if he wants to. But, how?

I tilt my head to the side. "Should you be questioning your god like that? You're not a very good follower."

"Don't tell me what I am, bitch!"

I sigh. This conversation is not going anywhere. He didn't even want to hear how Jashin tortured me. I was sure that sort of information would've been a good trade for his secrets. I guess he really does believe this Jashin guy is real. At least I got a little bit of information to report back to Asuma. I can't wait to get my to Konoha so I&T can deal with his metaphorical ass and rack his brain of his secrets.

"Asuma!" I shout. "I'm ready for him to be sealed back up!"

Hidan widen his eyes. "What? Hell, no! I'm not going back in there! Don't you know how cramped it is?!"

"I'll let you know if I ever find myself in that situation," I tell him as Asuma appears beside of me.

"Anything good?" he asks.

I shake my head. "Just his normal, lunatic self."

"Didn't I tell you?" Asuma replies. He quickly seals Hidan before he can do anything fishy. "So, you really didn't get anything out of him?"

"He would not reveal anything to me," I say. "He mentioned that it was sacred, though I did pick up on somethings."

Asuma raises his eyebrows. "Oh?"

"He basically implied that he did cast that genjutsu on me, but he doesn't believe that it was a genjutsu when I asked him about it."

"Do you think he's speaking the truth about not knowing?"

I shrug. "I believe him. He doesn't strike me as the type of person to lie, especially over something like that."

"True," Asuma says. "If he says it wasn't a genjutsu, what do you think it is?"

"I honestly don't know," I admit. "I'm very baffled about the whole thing. If it isn't a genjutsu, maybe he said some prayer to his god and that is what caused Jashin to pay me a visit. But, that wouldn't make sense because that would imply his god is real and a god like that would not have painlessly tortured me. I should've felt pain and been burning in the pits of hell. That guy says that a lot."

"So, it goes back to the theory of being a genjutsu."

"And, there is plenty of proof indicating that it is one. He just doesn't believe it is."

If it is a genjutsu, but he doesn't believe it is a genjutsu, he is either really stupid or someone has convinced him otherwise. Hidan did tell us that followers of Jashin sometimes run in a cult, but he prefers to run alone. Yet, he had to have found out about the religion from someone or something.

"In your interrogation with him, did you ever come across how he started to "follow the Way of Jashin"?" I ask Asuma.

"He did, actually," Asuma tells me. "He said he was approached one day while doing something irrelevant out of Yugakure. He didn't go into much detail, but a man carrying a red scythe starting to talk to him about it after our immortal expressed interest."

Awhhh, so all Jashin followers give their prey a chance to live and follow the Way of Jashin before murdering them. How nice of them.

"After learning about it," Asuma continues. "He did a ritual and converted over to the religion. After doing so, the man suggested they travel as a pair to spread the Way. They only traveled together for two days before he stole his partner's scythe one night and killed him because his partner supposedly committed a sin and his god told him to kill his partner."

"Wow, how brutal." I didn't expect Hidan to ever kill a fellow Jashin follower. He even took the guy's weapon!Yet, killing and stealing isn't a sin. Weird. "I am assuming that his partner at the time taught him how to cast the genjutsu that I was in, even though it seems that followers don't believe it is one. It sounds like whoever came up with this religion could've been a really skilled genjutsu master and just tricked everyone into believing he is Jashin and that his genjutsu is only a prayer or something."

"We just need to figure out how it is triggered," Asuma says, sighing.

I give him a strange look. "Not to be rude Asuma-sensei, but how come I'm the one coming up with stuff and you're just making comments on it?" Shouldn't the sensei be coming up with the theories while the students are like "oh, yeah. I agree!"?

Asuma gives me a serious look. "I don't know what you're talking about."

I blink. "What? No, nevermind." He's playing some type of game with me right now. I rub my chin. "Anyways, it would make sense for the followers to think that it is a prayer. In order to pray, most people speak out loud, though a few will say it in their minds…"

I jerk my head up and widen my eyes as an idea hits me. "Is there such a thing as casting a genjutsu just verbally?" I've never heard of such a thing, but the anime/manga only explored so much.

Asuma cracks a smile. "I was wondering when you were going to come up with that conclusion."

"Wait, did you already know this?" I question.

Asuma chuckles. "I might've came up with the same idea when Sakura told me what happened."

I frown. No, fair! He knew this whole time and was just playing along with me until I figured it out. That's the game!

"You should've just humored me and let me take the credit for coming up with that," I grumble.

"Now, what kind of sensei would I be if I gave my students false hope?" Asuma asks me with fake innocence.

"A better one," I gruff, crossing my arms.

Asuma chuckles again. "Hey, I knew you were intelligent enough this whole time to figure it out and wanted you to prove me right."

I break out into a smile. I did figure something out without any prior knowledge to guide me. I will take the compliment! "So, how do you know that it was a verbal genjutsu? Have you experienced or seen one before?"

Asuma scratches the back of his head. "To be honest, I don't know hundred percent if it is one or not. It is just an educated guess I thought of that came across more as one once I heard what happen from you." He grows serious. "While I am pretty sure we are right, we cannot guarantee anything unless we go back to Konoha."

I nod. "At least we finally have an idea."

Asuma nods in agreement. I bite my lip. Should I tell him that I think that my Shadow Clones had seen Itachi and two other questionable figures? But, what if it really was just a dream? It really only feels like a dream, now that I experienced for a second time with different results, and my gut is telling me that it is a dream. And, it seems like if you have a strong hutch in the Narutoverse than you are most likely correct. Just ask Kakashi. However, if it is only a dream, why did I specifically dream of those three people? I haven't been thinking about them at the time and I haven't seen of thought of Itachi in years. I hold my head from the headache that is coming back. Ugh, this is all so confusing.

Asuma raises an eyebrow. "Is there something wrong?" he asks.

I give him a fake smile and wave my hand. "No, I am fine. I just have a headache and it has been pounding since I woke up."

"Oh, okay," Asuma says, relaxing his features. "It should go away by the time we have dinner at our client's house tonight."

"Good, because it is annoying," I tell him. "So, is that all you wanted from me before I go find the girls?"

"Yes," Asuma replies. "I just wanted to discuss that with you. Just meet back at our client's house in a few hours, though I suppose the little girl will just guide you there."

"Understood," I say. We both wave at the each other before leaving the room.

* * *

Shopping with Sakura and Michi was fun. They had actually decided to wait on me by just browsing the food stands so they wouldn't hit all the food stores without me. I didn't buy anything for myself and tried to find gifts that Naruto, Sasuke, Neji, and Hanabi would like. I didn't find anything the boys would like, except for food but there's plenty of that in Konoha, but I did find something for Hanabi. A silver oval locket necklace that has a spiral flower design on it. Unlike most girls her age, she does not care to play with toys or dolls. She sleeps with my stuffed wolf that Neji gave me as toddlers, but that's it. I can put a picture of me and her and our parents in the locket or she can put whatever she wants in there. I think she will like it.

Sakura did a little shopping for herself and restocked on her makeup supplies while Michi bought herself a couple of books.

After a few hours of having girl time, we headed back to Norio's house for dinner. He was right when he said it was a small place: two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a conjoined living area and kitchen. The table we ate at only held four people so we had to pull up a couple of more seats and squeeze in.

During dinner, Sakura and I learned what Shikamaru was up for the past few hours. Norio has been instructing him about the jutsu that he has use to pull Hidan underground during our fight with him. It is called _Earth Style: Hiding Like a Mole Jutsu._ Mostly during those three hours, Norio explained the jutsu to Shikamaru, how to perform it, and had him practice it for awhile. Since he isn't really good at teaching it, and since we are leaving tomorrow morning, Norio have him a scroll to learn by. Knowing Shikamaru, he will have the jutsu down within a week or less.

Asuma had suggested that this technique can help Shikamaru out in battle because he can use it to enlong his shadows or to hide and trap prey. Shikamaru commented that this is just a bunch of work for him to do. I countered that with the fact that all he is doing is hiding and laying underground and that laying down and hiding are two of his favorite things to do so he should be excited to learn this jutsu. This earned me a eye roll from him.

The next morning, Norio and Michi met us at the gates to see us off.

"Next time you come to Konoha, I will show you around my favorite places like you did with us," Sakura says to Michi.

Michi's eye twinkle with excitement. She has taken an extreme liking to Sakura. "I can't wait!" She looks up at her father. "Let's go back really soon!"

Norio chuckles and pats his daughter's head. "We just got back from there, sweetie."

"But, now I know that Sakura will be there and she can show me around to some pretty cool places," Michi tells Norio.

"We will be back before you know it," Norio says, smiling. Then, he turns to us. "I know I have said this many times already, but thank you once again for escorting my daughter and I back to Yugakure. If we had traveled alone, things would have been really bad for us. I will always be grateful for your four."

"Well, it's just part of our duty as Shinobi to protect you," Asuma informs him. "But, I know you won't accept that as a response so you are welcome. We enjoyed having you guys as our clients."

"And, thank you for paying for our room at the inn and allowing us to eat dinner at your place," I added in, bowing. "It was a very lovely meal and you didn't have to do that for us."

"Oh, but I wanted to," Norio says. "It was the least I can do for you guys. I wasn't going to be rude and just shoo you all off as soon as we arrived."

"You wouldn't believe some of the clients that would," I heard Asuma mumble under his breath and then quickly clears his throat to cover that comment up.

"Thanks for giving me that jutsu to learn," Shikamaru says to Norio. "I'm sure it will come in handy."

Norio blushes in embarrassment. "I wish I was qualified enough to help teach you."

Shikamaru gives him a small smile. "Don't worry. I'll be fine. You already did enough for me."

Norio relaxes. "I'm glad to hear that."

"Well, we better get going," Asuma tells us.

"Have a safe travel and say hi to us the next time you are around," Norio says as he waved.

Michi runs over and gives Sakura a tight hug, making her blush a little. "Bye! See you soon!"

Sakura smiles down at her. "Bye, Michi!"

Michi pulls back and waves. "Bye, everybody!"

We all wave and say our good-byes before heading off.

"They are so nice," Sakura comments as we walk.

I nod. "They are." I shift my eyes over at Asuma. "I heard what you grumbled earlier. Are most clients really that bad?"

Asuma sighes. "I don't want to talk bad about them, but many clients are not as friendly as Norio and Michi. Some just expect for Shinobi to help them out while others hate the idea of Shinobi altogether for personal reasons but hire us anyways because they have to."

"But, not all missions involve traveling with clients, right?" Shikamaru asks.

"Correct," Asuma replies. "But, many involve traveling to the client's village or place of choice and they can still out a certain way. However, not all missions involve been around a client."

Hmm, we have a pretty patient team. I think we would be able to handle a client with a bad attitude if we had one. Now, if we had someone like Naruto on our team he wouldn't be as restrained as us. Heck, in his mission he is on right now he talks back to his client and yells at the client's grandson. Though, I can see myself probably "accidently" tripping and running my fist into a bad client's face if they were too annoying or insulting. I can only handle so much bullshit.

Sorry, I mean I'm innocent little Hinata. I wouldn't harm a fly because Shino would hate me forever.

Since it took a few days to get to Yugakure because we were traveling at a civilian's pace, it is only going to take a day and half to get back to Konoha at our usual pace. We are pretty quick, we are not going to have to stop as often, and we can travel a little later into the night before settling down for camp. Which we did around eleven that night. After stopping and setting up camp for the night, I am given first shift. While everyone climbs into their sleeping bags and drifts off to sleep, I climb up a try, activate my Byakugan, and recall back my Shadow Clone I had sent out earlier.

Earlier in the day, around an hour after we left, I sent out a Shadow Clone to scope out the area. I convinced Asuma it is because we do not run into anyone like Hidan again, but I'm just double checking to make sure there is no Akatsuki members lurking around. Even though I am pretty sure by now that it is just a dream, I am being cautious. As my Shadow Clone's memories rushed through my mind, I am relieved to see that she didn't come across anything dangerous or out of the ordinary.

After a couple of hours of taking watch, I am beginning to grow bored and decide to do a little training at the waterfall nearby. I am close enough to camp so I can watch for any enemies with my Byakugan, but far enough away to where I will not wake anybody up. I will only be gone for an hour so the next person to take their shift, Shikamaru, will not wake up and notice that I am missing.

I make my way over to the small waterfall, strip out of my clothed, and fold them neatly on the embankment. I begin to walk on top of the pond that the waterfall flows into until I am in the center of it. There, I start practicing my _Protective Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms._

I could have mastered this technique a long time ago if I practiced it regularly. Since I have been training in secret, I can only sneak out to practice every so often. Plus, this move is really difficult to learn. Not only am I emitting a lot of chakra out of my palms, but they are super then and it requires a lot of chakra control to be handle to maneuver the chakra threads easily. While moving my hands around, the chakra threads must not touch, or they will break. Instead, I have to make sure that the chakra threads overlap each other instead when performing the technique and that is how I am able to create my protective dome. This move takes a lot out of me so I am only able to hold the enclosed spheres for a couple of seconds before having to exert outwards. Now, I can create many individual chakra threads before wearing myself out. After mastering this technique, my goal is to be able to whip out the move without ease whenever it is needed. I would like to somehow enhance the Protective Eight Trigrams to make it more offensive than defensive, but that is another story.

A sudden movement from behind me breaks my concentration as the hovering water around drops and I focus on my Byakugan. I notice that Shikamaru is only steps away from leaving the forest and to where I am at.

Crap! Why is he up? Have I been out here longer than I have thought?

I quickly swipe up my clothes and dart behind the nearest rock as Shikamaru emerges out of the forest. I watch him through the rock with my visual powers as he looks around at his surroundings and just gazes at the waterfall for a few minutes. I have to shut my eyes for a moment as he decides to take a quick piss and head back to camp.

I smack my forehead. I need to be more careful! He almost caught me! He must've not been looking for me so I am assuming he doesn't know I am gone yet. Ugh, I guess I better go back now until my shift is over.

* * *

We finally make it back to Konoha around mid-afternoon the next day and I have never been any happier. I am so ready to sleep in my own bed and tell my father about my mission. He is going to be so proud of me!

"You three will have the next two days off," Asuma tells us. "During that time, Shikamaru, I suggest you start on practice your new jutsu, even if it is only for a little while." Ha. A little while. He isn't expecting much from Shikamaru.

"I'll try to find the time," Shikamaru tell Asuma.

I am about to make a smartass remark towards him, but decide against it. He has had enough of my scaractic abuse for one mission.

Asuma nods. "Very well. I expect you three to hand your missions reports into me by the end of the week. Because of the unforeseen obstacles that we came across, I will have to talk to the Hokage about changing the ranking, which it will probably boost up to an A. That is why I am giving you more than enough time to finish your reports because that is up in the air. "

Sakura widens her eyes. "An A rank?!"

I grin. Heck yeah! Naruto is going to get so mad when he finds out that he isn't the only rookie team that just took on an A rank mission.

"Just hope it does get boosted up to an A rank mission,: Asuma says to her. "That will look good on your record that you successfully took on an A rank mission as a Genin."

"But, we had you with us," Sakura points out.

Asuma shakes his head. "That doesn't matter. A-rank missions are typically for advanced Chunins or Jounins. They are way out of a Genin's league so you will still impress people."

Sakura smiles and nods. Knowing that will boost her self-esteem a little.

"What are you going to do about that guy?" Shikamaru ask.

"I am about to head over to the Hokage right now to explain what happened and see what he wants to do," Asuma tells us.

"Will we get to find out everything about his religion and how he put me under a genjutsu?" I question. I really want to know the answers to that.

Asuma shrugs. "To be honest, I don't know if I will get any information about that. It will be up to the Hokage what he wants to keep disclosed or not. Though, Hinata, I think you might be summoned to him for questioning about your experience with the genjutsu, if needed, so just be prepared for that."

I nod. I figured as much. It makes sense. "I understand."

"Great! I will see you guys in two days from now," Asuma says. "I will treat you guys for lunch as a reward!" He waves and disappears in a cloud of smoke.

The three of us say our good-byes and head our separate ways. I rush to the compound. I want to tell my father everything as soon as possible. I haven't received any praise from him in awhile so it is a little sad how desperate I am for some from him right now.

As I run through the compound, I turn a corner and stop dead in my tracks, almost running into Neji.

"Eep!" I squeak in surprise. "Oh! I am so sorry, Neji-nii-san."

Neji doesn't say anything and glares at me with narrowed eyes. Why is he staring at me like that? He has never given me such a hateful look before.

I frown. "I said I was sorry. It was an accident. It is nothing to get angry over."

Neji continues to stare me down and I notice that his body is slightly trembling. Is he that angry with me?

No. Not me. He would never get this angry with me. It has to be something else.

I give him a fretful look. "What's wrong, Neji? Did something happen?"

Neji sighs and his body stops shaking. "Why don't you ask Hiashi-sama?" he spats with pure hatred before walking briskly past me.

I gawk at his back. Ask my father? Is he the reason why Neji is so pissed off right now?

I sprint towards my father's office.

What did you do, father?

 **Author's Note: Sorry! Another cliffhanger! I hope you enjoy this chapter and that you are getting excited for the Chunin Exams because I know I am! It is my favorite arc in the whole Naruto (not Shippuden) series and I can't wait to write in my own spin of things. As always, reviews are appreciated!**


	16. Chapter 16: Blank Period

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or it would never end.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Blank Period**

 **Chapter sixteen**

I rush to my father's study and sling the door open. He doesn't so much as jump at the abrupt noise nor does he even look up from his writing.

"Oh, you are back from your mission?" he calmly asks , he is not scolding me for my bad manners and barging in on him. He must have sensed I was coming and knew what I was coming to him for.

I just stare at him as I struggle to find the right question to ask to start off the conversation. I do not want to come off as too direct, because what if he didn't do anything? I also do not want to word it to seem that Neji is pissed at him and talked bad about him to me.

"Did something happen while I was gone?" I ask.

Hiashi flickers his eyes up at me. "Many things happened while you were gone, Hinata-chan."

I cannot tell if he is being serious or a smartass right now. "Did anything _bad_ happen while I was gone?"

Hiashi raises an eyebrow. "What would make you think that?"

I resist the urge to sigh. This tiptoeing around shit that we are doing isn't going to get us anywhere. "I...I just passed Neji on my way here and he seemed upset about something. When we saw one another, we greeted each other and I asked him what was wrong. He just told me that he does not know if he is allowed to talk about it and is probably best to ask you."

Okay, big lie. But, I think this is the best way to word it without getting Neji brought in or in trouble.

Hiashi closes his eyes for a moment, as if he is conflicted to tell me something or not. He opens them. "Hinata," he beings. He didn't use my honourific. He only does that when he is super angry or serious with me. "You know from witnessing over the years that being the Head of the Hyūga Clan is not the easiest position to be in. Sometimes you have to do things that you do not want to do, but you have to because it is best for the clan."

My heart drops. "Did you do something to Neji?"

"I had to do something," Hiashi tells me. He takes a deep breathe. He really doesn't want to tell me what he did. Does he regret what he did or does he not want to deal with my reaction? "Neji was caught stealing scrolls from the Main House."

I froze. "No." Did my father…?

"I have been very lenient with him since he is my nephew and you two are close," Hiashi begins. "However, he crossed the line with his actions and he needed to be punished accordingly to remind him of his place in this clan."

He did. He activated Neji's Cursed Seal.

My body seems to turn around on its on as I run out of the room, ignoring my father callings.

I can't believe Hiashi would do that to his own family member. His own nephew. His brother's son. What does Hizashi think about all of this? I bet he hates us even more now.

I blink away tears of anger that are threatening to spill over.

I need to find Neji.

I sprint through the main courtyard and over to the Branch's. I find Neji's bedroom door and start to rapidly knock on it. Nobody answers so I break the rules by activating my Byakugan to see if he is in there. He is.

I slid open the door without his consent and step on in, closing it behind me. Neji sits up from his bed and frowns. "Can I help you?" he questions, obviously annoyed.

I narrow my eyes in response, but then I take in the situation. I just barged into his room with my Byakugan on, which is against the clan's rules unless you are training. He just broke some major rules and got punished yet I, a Main House member and the heiress, am breaking some as well and will never get in trouble for it. I relax my features and turn off my visual powers.

"Can we talk in private?" I ask.

"Is this not private enough for you?"

I shake my head. "I would rather not take the risk of being overheard."

Neji does not budge from his bed. "Where would you like to go?"

I pull my mouth into a tight line. I do not like how guarded he is acting around me right now. He is responding more as my servant than as my cousin.

"Follow me," I softly tell him.

He gets up and I head outside and towards my mother's garden.

"I do not feel comfortable coming over to your side right now," Neji admits to me as he stands next to me.

I bend down to caress a tomato plant that my sister is currently growing. "This is a peaceful place that only my sister and I visit. Nobody is going to bother us." I know this is not what he meant, but it is better to try and ease his mind.

I face Neji and find that he doesn't seem to convinced. I sigh and decide to just start the conversation that I want to have with him.

"Why?" I say to him. "What compelled you to go and take something forbidden from the Main House?"

This probably isn't the best way to start off our talk, but I am curious to know. If he wanted to learn _Rotation_ or _Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms_ , he could've just asked me and I could have copied the scroll down for him so it wouldn't have gone missing. And, there is no reason for me to start off by coddling him and asking if he's okay because I know he isn't.

Neji stiffens up. "Why should I tell you?"

"Well, it must've been an important enough reason if you took the chance to steal."

Neji bores his eyes into mine. "Not to be rude, but it is not any of your concern, Hinata-sama."

Oh, he did not just call me that.

I cross my arms. "First off, you know better then to call me that so do not ever do that again. Second, why are you acting this way towards me? I have not done anything wrong. I am always on your side when it comes to conflict between you and my father."

Neji appears unfazed by my words. "I am just starting to think that maybe our relationship shouldn't be so casual."

I drop my arms. "What do you mean?"

He sighs. "I should just strictly act as my part as your protector and serve you without being so friendly towards one another. It is not destined for us to remain close like this because of our roles in life."

I wave my hands back and forth. "No. No way. You are not pulling that shit on me!" Neji looks surprised at my cursing since that is more of an internal habit of mine. But, I'm pissed now so I don't care. I ignore him and continue by pointing my finger at his chest. "I will never just treat you as a servant! You are my cousin. You are one of my best friends. Why the hell would I ever do that?"

Neji is speechless. I take advantage of that moment by composing myself. There is no need to get worked up and alarm someone of our whereabouts.

"Today made me realize how your future is going to play out," Neji finally says. "When you replace your father and become the Head, you are going to be forced to do stuff that I know you will never want to do. You will be too kind hearted to activate someone's Curse Seal, even when they deserve it. You care to much about other people to get involved with the unspoken feud between the two Houses. The council of our clan will end up using you in someway and end up making the decisions from behind the scenes while you take the heat for it. Nobody will ever approve of us being close and our status in this clan will cause us to grow distant anyways as we grow older. I am just being realistic and deciding to cut our ties now before we get too hurt."

I absorb everything Neji just said to me and something clicks in my head. Is my father really being controlled by our clan's council or does he actually value the traditional ways and his actions are of his own? Does he not feel anything when he had to activate the Curse Seal? He always wears that cold, strict expression on his face that would make anyone believe he's an asshole of a leader. But, in my eyes, he is not. He does not go out of his way to make the members of the Branch House miserable, but he isn't cordial ethier. He just acts very neutral around them. Is that just a front for the council and his own father, who always seems to be hassling him about something?

I recall a few times where my father has allowed me to do things, like hang out with Naruto before we became Shinobi or let anyone know that I know about the demon living inside of him, but always warned me to not let the council find out. What could they possibly do to him or me anyways?

And, what does my father even do all day in that office of his? He's always writing about something every time I go in there. Is that another council related ploy?

I do not believe I have ever met the members of this council, but I know that I do not like them. I hope they are super old and are long gone before I come into power and can hopefully choose my own council. Neji would definitely be on it.

Overall, if Neji is already coming to this realization then I need to tell him about my plans of changing this clan. I was going to wait until we were a little older, but he is already thinking about pushing me away and I will not allow that to happen. Will he comply with me? I would think he would, but he might be afraid now to go against the council and the Main House since he just received punishment from my father earlier.

Which, even though I hate to admit, was probably a little deserved. I mean, he stole from the Main House. Stealing itself is a major crime anyways, but this a Branch member stealing secrets that they are not supposed to know from the Main House. It is a ballsy move and I believe Neji got off easy, if you call getting your brain cells fried to bits a light punishment.

I wonder if the council knows about Neji's actions. I really hope not.

"Neji," I begin. "When I become the Head of this clan, I plan on changing it for the better."

Neji arches his eyebrows with interest. "How so?"

"I really do not know have a clear cut idea yet," I admit to him. "However, I plan on developing one once I get a little older and start learning about the duties as a Head. From there, I hope to have access to certain things so I can find out some information such as these forbidden secrets that my father is always talking about and this clan's history. I just want to somehow unite the Main and Branch House as one and do something about these Curse Marks. I understand why our clan is set up the way it is, it makes sense. But, I believe there is a better way to run things than to already have a person's life planned out if they are born into the Branch House."

"I like this goal of yours a lot, but do you think it is realistic?" Neji asks. "I mean, do you think you are the first heir/heiress to want to change this clan?"

I shrug. "I would like to think not and that some prior Heads tried to change our clan's ways, but failed.." I raise my chin up and give my cousin a more determined look. "This has been my goal since I was young and I plan on making my goal a reality. However, I do not think I can without your help."

Neji blinks. "You want my help?"

I give him an encouraging smile and nod. "Yes. If I plan on uniting the two Houses, I obviously need someone from the Branch to be a representative. You surpass me greatly and you are a genius. You have great leadership skills and I think you would be a great choice to convince the members of your House to agree with my future plans. They can relate to you. In my opinion, though, you should have been born into the Main House, not I. You are more suited to be the Head of this clan than I will ever be."

Neji appears smug at my compliments. "Do not say such things, Hinata. After hearing of your plan, a kindhearted and caring leader is what this clan needs if you want to unify everyone as equals." He gives me a warm smile. "I would love to be part of this plan of yours."

I grin. "Awesome!" I cheer. "While it is not going to go into effect until we are a little older, I am still retaining everything my father tells me and keeping myself aware to how the Branch reacts to things the Main House does."

Neji frowns. "Yes, the Branch is not very happy with your father, though we are not allowed to express such thoughts outloud."

I frown with him. I am surprised this clan has not broken out into some type of civil war yet. Perhaps if the Branch did not have those Curse Seals, they would have rebelled a long time ago.

"I have already came to that conclusion a while back," I tell him. "Does anyone have any ill feelings towards me?" I would like to know for future references so I can start making amends. I do not want anyone hating me when I become the Head, AKA Hizashi.

Neji thinks for a moment. "Not that I recall. You are not brought up much. Whenever you are, I hear nothing but positive things about you. They know you are different. They are very fond of you and like how you are always polite and friendly towards them."

He didn't mention his father so either Hizashi really doesn't hate me or he is just protecting his father and sparing my feelings.

I sigh in relief. "That is good to hear."

I glad, for now, no one seems to dislike and that Neji wants to help me make my plans for the Hyūga clan.

"Your plans actually kind of go along with what I was searching for," Neji tells me. "I was trying to learn more about my Curse Seal."

Wait, so he wasn't trying to learn any techniques?

"Why?" I ask.

"I wanted to know who created the seal, how it is able to seal the Byakugan after death, how the caster learns the technique, and so on. Basically, I just want to know everything about it and how to either remove it or prevent it from being activated. Ironic since my punishment for getting caught was having my own seal activated."

I give him a sympathetic glance. "I am sorry my father did that. I never wanted that to happen to you."

Neji flicks his hand. "Let's not worry about it. What is done is done."

"Okay…" I say, knowing that he really doesn't mean that. "What made you suddenly want to learn about the Curse Mark?"

"It was not all of a sudden," Neji corrects me. "I have always wanted to know more ever since I witness Hiashi-sama trigger my father's seal with just two fingers. It makes me wonder if he is the only one who can activate it or can anyone who learns how to? Is he able to control the seal because his own chakra is mixed in with it or is it just a clan thing and any Hyūga can use it? I have so many questions that I want to know the answers to. Like I said, it was not sudden. I just decided to take the risk and hoped that I would not get caught. I have not gotten caught before."

I raise an eyebrow. "Before?"

Neji nods. "Yes. I have snuck in before on two separate occasions to memorize a scroll and return before anyone noticed that it was missing."

"I am a little surprised that you are telling me this," I admit. While we are close, does he not have some doubt that I will become horrified that he is learning our secrets and go inform my father?

"You should not be. I trust you," Neji replied. "That is why I am telling you."

"Thank you," I say. "If you do not mind me asking, what have you memorized?"

Neji looks away. "I hope you are not offended, but I have learned and mastered the _Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms_ and I currently teaching myself _Rotation._ "

My pride is slightly hurt from him learning moves so quickly that I should already know, but I am not offended.

I give him a reassuring smile. "See, I told you that you are a genius. You are learning very difficult moves without any guidance."

Neji smiles at my words. He knows himself that he deserves to be apart of the Main House. "Thank you, Hinata. That means a lot."

I am about to say something back when I hear something in the distance. "Nee-san! Otou-san wants to see you!"

It seems like my little sister is following the rules and not using her Byakugan to find me so I better come out of hiding.

"I guess I should see what he wants," I say to Neji.

"Sounds good," Neji says back. "I will see you later."

We go our separate ways and I make over to Hanabi. She instantly spins around and puts her hands on her hips. "I did not enjoy spending the last half hour playing hide and seek with you."

I laugh and pat her head. "I am sorry for causing you any trouble."

She frowns in response. "What does our father want with you anyways? He does not seem very happy with you."

I sigh. "I tend to have this bad habit of running away from him when he tells me things that I do not like to hear."

Hanabi rolls her eyes. "I already know that about you, but that does not answer my question."

Humph. Smarty pants. "It is between me and him."

"I think I should be able to know since I had to search for you," Hanabi mumbles underneath her breathe.

I run a hand through my hair. This girl is a handful sometimes. "You seem to be in a bad mood. Why don't you go train or something to let off some steam?"

"I have already trained today," my sister informs me. "I haven't seen you in awhile. I want to be with you!" She gives me sad puppy dog eyes that would pull at anybody's heartstrings.

I smooth down her hair. "I think my talk with Otou-san is going to take awhile and it is almost dinnertime. After that, you will have to do your evening studies and then go to bed. I have the day off tomorrow. I promise to spend the whole day with you! Does that sound like a deal?"

Hanabi's face brightens up and her bad mood melts away. "Deal!" she says and gives me a hug.

Ugh. She is so cute.

Hanabi lets go of me and wanders off as I head back towards my father's office. I open the door without permission and close it behind me. "I have been summoned?" I tease, trying to break the uncomfortable tension in the air.

Hiashi rubs his temples. "Don't start. Just take a seat."

I obey and sit down in the seat that sits in front of his desk. "I am sorry for running off like that," I tell my father. "I was just surprised and upset from what I heard."

Hiashi sighs. "You really need to not react that way everything you hear something that you do not like." Hey, I only do that with you so you should feel special. "I assume that you went to find Neji?"

I nod. There is no need to lie. "I just wanted to know why would he do such a thing."

"And, what did he say?" Hiashi asks.

Pssh, like I am telling you that. "He would not give me an answer so I just asked about his well-being instead."

"Hinata, you should not feel sorry for him, no matter how close the two of you are," Hiashi tells me. "His punishment fit the crime that he committed. I actually went easy on him. If it had been my own father or anybody from the council, it would have been more severe."

So, my father and I are the only people that know about this. But… "Are you going to let them know what Neji did?"

Hiashi shakes his head. "I will not. He was only caught in our library with a scroll in hand. It did not appear that he had opened any of the scrolls."

That is a relief. "Who caught him?"

"Hanabi. She was going in there to grab something and found him."

Hanabi caught him? I am surprised Neji didn't sense her coming. He must've have been too engrossed into what he was doing at the time. I would think he would want to be more aware of his surroundings and have his Byakugan activated or something.

"I am surprised she caught him without him noticing," I admit to my father.

"Unlike you growing up, Hanabi is more quiet and obedient. Sometimes, I forget she is even there."

Hmm. Sneaky little girl. I should keep an eye on her.

"However, you should not get upset with her for telling on Neji," my father says a little sternly.

"No, I am not upset with her," I let him know. "She was only doing what she knows is the right thing to do."

Hiashi pauses in surprise for a moment because I am not defending Neji's actions and then nods. "I am glad you can understand that."

"I just wish that Neji was not put into the position to where he has to steal from us for knowledge about our own clan. The Branch House should have equal access to what we have."

Hiashi narrows his eyes. "We are not having this discussion right now."

You never want to.

"Yes, sir," I reply.

Hiashi relaxes his demeanor. "So, how did your mission go? Was it a success?"

I roll with the topic change and tell him everything that happened on my most recent mission. As I had hope, Hiashi is proud of me.

"Completing an A-rank mission this early on in your Shinobi career is very impressive," he tells me. "Keep this up, Hinata-chan. You are keeping our clan's name good by doing so."

I bow. "Thank you."

"When do you have to hand in your mission report?"

"In three days from now."

"Whenever everything is processed, I would like for you to request a copy of the official report on my behalf. I would like to look over it."

"I will do that for you.

Hiashi nods. "Good. Is there anything else you want to discussion?" I shake my head. "Let's get ready for dinner then."

* * *

As promised, I spent the next day with my sister. Since it is the weekend, she does not have class today so I started off the day by watching her morning training session with our father. I must say, I am pretty impressed with her. She is far more advanced than I was at seven years old. She puts in a lot of power into her strikes and is very quick and silent on her feet. I can see why Neji didn't notice her.

Creepy thought, but Hanabi would make a great assassinator.

After her training session, we spent the rest of the morning tending to our mother's garden and taking a walk around the village while rehashing my mission to her and any other story she wants to hear. Around lunchtime, our stomachs were rumbling.

"I am hungry," Hanabi complains as we stroll through the outdoor market.

I pull out my wallet and count the cash inside. "What are you in the mood for?"

"Ramen!" Wait, that isn't Hanabi's voice.

I turn around and see Naruto standing with Sasuke and Ino on the other side of the street. They seem to be arguing about something.

Ino places her hands on her hips. "We always eat there! I'm sick of it!"

Naruto's scowls. "What do you mean you're sick of it? We have been without it for two weeks and we are eating some!"

Sasuke crosses his arms. "Shut up, dobe. You are causing a scene."

Naruto gives him an annoyed look. "Don't only fuss at me, teme! Ino is yelling as well!"

"Because you are being so annoying right now!" Ino yells, proving Naruto's point.

Sasuke grunts and looks away, widening his eyes when he spots me. Leaving his two teammates behind, he walks over towards me.

"I didn't you know you guys were back," I say to Sasuke as he approaches me.

"We just got back this morning and these two are already fighting," Sasuke tells me with mild annoyance. "I wanted to get away from them for awhile, but they both dragged me to lunch with them and now they are being indecisive."

I giggle. "It seems to me that Naruto-kun already has his mind made up."

As if he heard me talking about him, Naruto stops arguing with Ino and averts his eyes over to me. His face brightens up as he runs over towards me, madly waving his hands. "Hey! Hinata-chan! How's it going?" Ino groans and jogs after him.

"I'm about to grab some lunch with my sister, Hanabi-chan," I said, pointing at her. I look down at her. "Hanabi-chan, this is my friends Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun and their teammate Ino."

Hanabi bows. "It is nice to meet you three." She looks at me. "Why is she not your friend?"

Naruto snorts at my sister's innocent comment as Sasuke hides a smirk and Ino's eyebrow twitches. Damn. I didn't mean to throw any shade.

"We are just acquaintances," I reply. "We do not hate each other or anything." Okay, that is a little white lie because Ino and I have never cared for one another.

"I like your sister! She's funny!" Naruto makes known to me as Hanabi slightly blushes.

"She's something," I say back. "How did your mission go?"

Ino opens her mouth to say something, but Naruto beats her to it. "It was so cool! We kicked some ass! Okay, so- OW! What the hell was that for-OW!"

Naruto frantically rubs his head as Ino seethes with her fist raised. "You're not suppose to be cussing in front of little kids like that, idiot!"

"What's the big deal?" Naruto whines. "I curse in front of Konohamaru all the time!"

"Which you shouldn't do because it makes you a bad influence!"

"Knock it off," Sasuke snaps as I scratch the back of my head. Hanabi just blinks at them in confusion.

An idea pops in my head. "Why don't we all have lunch together and I can hear all about your mission in a more civilized manner and then I can tell you guys about mine?"

Naruto and Ino stop bickering and stare at me. "Why would you want to tell us about your D-rank mission?" Naruto asks. Ino bonks him over the head again for his impoliteness. "STOP THAT!"

I smile. "Actually, my team and I went on a mission outside of the village just like you all did."

I catch Sasuke's interest. "Where did you go?"

"I will tell you guys after you tell me how your mission went first," I tell him, even though I pretty much know what happened unless Ino being there changed anything.

"Alright!" Naruto cheers, pumping his fist into the air. "We can talk it over some ramen!" He runs away towards the direction of Ichiraku before anybody could protest.

Ino sighs as we slowly start walking behind him. Hanabi taps my shoulder and I lean down as she whispers into my ear. "You have some strange friends."

I shrug. "Life would be boring if everybody was normal."

Hanabi rolls her eyes. "He is not even abnormal. He is a definition of his own."

After ordering our food, Team Seven took turns in telling the story about their most recent mission. As I had expected, everything pretty much went the same (Rest in peace Haku and Zabuza even though I never met you in person). One thing I picked up on is that Naruto did not reveal that he had channeled some of the Kyuubi's chakra when he attacked Haku after he thought Sasuke was dead, which makes sense because that is still a secret he is keeping from the Rookie Nine for now.

A minor difference that happened during their mission is that they convinced Kakashi to teach them a jutsu while they were waiting around for the bridge to be built. Since Sasuke and Naruto learnt how to climb up trees and walk on water from me, and Ino learnt from them so she could catch up and attempt to impress Sasuke, they had begged Kakashi to teach them something new until he gave in. He taught them a Water based jutsu called _Water Style: Gunshot_ because since they were around bodies of water it would be easy for them to practice. However, the jutsu can be performed without water. It seems that Ino ended up perfected it before Sasuke and Naruto did which makes me wonder if Ino has an affinity for the element of Water.

I am just glad Kakashi taught them anything at all besides teamwork and the Genin basics.

After I told my mission to them, they were stunned. Though, I left out the parts about Hidan's religion and putting me under a genjutsu because those two things are still under investigation and I don't know if I am allowed to speak about it or not.

"Wow! I can't believe you fought and immortal!" Naruto exclaims with awe as he slurps up his fifth bowl of ramen.

Ino shivers. "I can't believe you chopped his head off."

"Yes, well I did not have any other choice," I say to her. "You know how immortals are. That is the only way to deal with them."

Ino ignores my joke. "I can't believe Sakura actually saved Shikamaru. She's better than I thought."

"Sakura-chan is amazing!" Naruto tells Ino. "You better step up your game if you want to catch up with her!"

Ino crosses her arms. "Pfft. I am already ten times better than Billboard Brow."

I have to admit, from what I have heard from Naruto, Ino is pretty talented. Not only does she know her _Ninja Art: Mind Transfer Jutsu,_ but now she has a Water Style jutsu under her belt, she has average taijutsu skills now, and she's pretty smart. I do not know if it is because she came from a Shinobi family and Sakura did not, but she seems more dedicated to her training than Sakura did when she was on Team Seven in the anime/manga. Don't get me wrong, Ino is obsessed with Sasuke. She just tries to spend more time impressing him than hanging all over him, which I guess is not a bad thing if she is improving. Though, I think Sakura is better, in my opinion. She just needs more self-confidence in her skills.

"It sounds like you have gotten stronger since you have become a Genin," Sasuke says to me.

I smile. "Thank you! I have been training a lot."

Sasuke nods. "We should have a spar sometime."

Fight with Sasuke? Hell, no! He will kick my ass! Ugh, but it is Sasuke. I can't chicken out in front of him!

I nod back. "I'm up for that whenever."

Naruto points at Sasuke. "Hey! I always want to fight you, but you never want to!"

Sasuke shift his eyes over towards his teammate. "That's because I know I can beat you, dobe. I haven't seen Hinata's skills in a while."

"Humph," Naruto grunts. He looks over at me and smirks. "Well, whenever you are done playing around with Sasuke, come find me and I will give you a real match!"

"Okay, okay," I chuckle, waving my hands before an argument breaks out.

After our short lunch break, we all parted ways and Hanabi and I make our way back home.

"I am sorry we ate lunch with my friends instead of just the two of us," I apologize to Hanabi. "You must have been bored."

Hanabi shakes her head. "I actually found the conversations pretty interesting and amusing. I like to observe and listen more than talking anyways."

I raise my eyebrows. "Are you hinting to me that you noticed something during our talks?"

Hanabi nods. "Yes. I think Naruto-san has a crush on this Sakura girl, Sasuke-san seems to think he is better than his teammates though holds you on a higher pedestal, and Ino-san is jealous that you are so close to Sasuke."

I just stare at her. "You got all of that from just listening and watching?"

Hanabi smiles proudly. "Yes." Damn, she's good. "Was I correct?"

I dramatically sigh and shrug. "I don't know. Can you guess the answer from observing me?"

Hanabi frowns. "That's not even fair. You know I will be watching and will know to hide certain body language." However, she still thinks for moment. "I believe I am right, however."

I give in. "Yes, you are."

Thought, I don't know if she is right about Sasuke or not. Does he really think that highly of me over Naruto? Those two have been friends longer than he and I have. She must be mistaken.

* * *

When we all met up with Asuma a couple of days later, we all handed in our mission reports and decide to ask about the investigation. He informs us that he has not found out anything yet and I cannot tell if he is lying and is not allowed to tell us or he really does not know. Either way we accept his answer and do not press any further.

We spend most of the morning training on our own accord with Asuma and two of his Shadow Clones. Shikamaru is working all the new jutsu that Norio gave him, Sakura is working on her taijutsu and building up her strength since she needs to learn some offensive tactics, and I am working on my speed and _Substitution Jutsu_. My goal for the _Substitution Jutsu_ is to be able to use it so quickly that it looks like I am teleporting and I will be able to confuse my opponent. I have also decided to start carrying around straw scarecrow dummies in my storage scrolls so I can use them as a replacement to switch with. The point in having them is so I can set them up before or during a battle so if I need to get away to a certain position, or if I am trying to lure enemies into a pre-planned trap, I can just switch with the dummy instead of a random log. After training, we went on a D-rank mission.

This is how the next three weeks went: we worked on these areas during training and then we would go on a D-rank mission if scheduled to do so. Shikamaru learnt his new jutsu, though now he needs to find the motivation to actually practice it in order to master it. Sakura's taijutsu is coming along just fine though someone like Ino is still more advanced than her and mine evasive skills and agility has increased greatly.

Also during these three weeks, I have not seen much of Neji. Ever since his punishment, he has been avoiding the Main House and has been strictly hanging around the Branch House. I have only seen him a couple of times, but it has been in passing and we do not talk for long. I hope he does not feel weird around me now for what my father did to me, even though he seemed fine with me during our talk. I am just hoping that he is just using this time to train or something and not getting into anymore trouble. I can't really keep worrying about him though. He will come back around and be his old self again soon. Until then, I will just keep focusing on my training.

One random morning after a few hours of training, Asuma gives us a surprise before heading off for our mission of the day.

"What are these?" Sakura asks as he hands us each a piece of paper.

He smiles. "I have recommended you three for the Chunin Exams."

"The Chunin Exams?" Sakura repeats. "What is that?"

As Asuma launches into an explanation for her, my mind begins to race.

The Chunin Exams?! Seriously?!

The Chunin Exams means Orochimaru and that means he goes after Sasuke and gives him the Cursed Mark. Orochimaru also means the invasion of Konoha, which means the death of the Third Hokage and many other people. The invasion involves the Sand Siblings, which includes Gaara who introduces his inner demon beast to the world during the invasion.

And, the start of all this begins in five days.

I totally forgot all about the Chunin Exams.

Shit.

 **Author's Note: So, it seems like OC Hinata has forgotten all about the Chunin Exams! What kind of plan can she come up with in less than a week to save Sasuke and stop Orochimaru, if she even can? Dunnnn dunnn dunnnnnnnnnn!**


	17. Chapter 17: Chunin Exams Arc: Part 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Chunin Exams Arc: Part One**

 **Chapter seventeen**

I cannot believe that I forgot all about Orochimaru and the Chunin Exams. I have been too focused on improving myself and worrying about the future of my clan. I guess the thoughts slipped my mind since only some events have been accurate and others have been different. Plus, it has been twelve and half years in this universe since I've last watched the anime/manga.

Asuma informed us that the Chunin Exams take place in five days from now. Until then, he is not going to be around much because he has some "important stuff to take care of". I think he isn't allowed to be around us much while we prepare for the Exams just so he doesn't reveal anything about it to us, if he even knows any information, and try to influence to train a certain way.

Well, if we are going to be without our squad leader for the next five days then I am stepping in to temporarily take his place and make sure our team is hundred prepared for these Exams and Orochimaru since I do have prior knowledge, unless things change. It is so annoying that I think those three words a lot.

"This is all going to be such a drag," Shikamaru complains aloud as he shoves his hands into his pockets.

"What should we do now?" Sakura asks to no one in particular. "Should we start training for the Chunin Exams or studying? Asuma was very vague when it came to answering my questions so I don't know what to expect."

"I highly doubt these Exams are just going to be taking tests," I tell her. "If it were that easy to be a Chunin then we would have more running around the village. But, to answer your question, we should probably just start training. All three of us are smart enough to pass most, if any, tests if we come across any during the Exams."

Shikamaru raises an eyebrow. "Why even bother to train? We can't make that much progress in five days."

I roll my eyes. "You are just wanting to be lazy and watch the clouds or nap. We are training because I am not losing to the other rookies."

That caught Sakura's attention. "Do you think the others got recommended as well?"

"It just makes sense because they are just as talented as we are. If we were recommended than they should have been recommended." I lean in closer towards her. "That includes Ino."

I take a step back as Sakura's eyes instantly go up in flames as she raises a fist into the air. "Shannaro! Like I will ever allow Ino-pig to outdo me! She is crazy if she thinks she can become a Chunin before I can! We are training until our bodies collapse!"

I give my comrade a high five. "That's the spirit!"

Shikamaru sighs. "You two are so troublesome, but it would be just as troublesome for me to argue against the two of you over this so I guess I am in."

Sakura points out Shikamaru. "You better take this seriously, Shikamaru! I'm not going to allow you to slack off and hold us back!"

Shikamaru raises his hands up. "Geez, calm down. I just said I was in."

Sakura narrows her eyebrows. "That doesn't mean you will take this seriously!"

Shikamaru shifts his eyes over to me. "See what you've done? Now, I have to walk on eggshells the next few days."

I shrug innocently. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

Sakura's determination calms down a little and she looks at me. "So, what should we work on?"

I am glad that I am able to be seen as the leader without having to force myself into the position. That means they are more likely to follow my lead during the Exams when we have to enter the Forest of Death. I do not have a clear cut plan just yet, but I need to come up with a way to prevent Orochimaru from giving Sasuke the Cursed Mark. That may include getting Shikamaru and Sakura involved and I need to give them a convincing reason as to why we need to be around Team Seven during the second part of the Exams. But, I can come up with that in my own time. Right now, we need to come up with team tactics.

"I think we should split up our time," I reply. "Half of our time should be training as a team and the other half training individually."

"Why individually?" Sakura asks.

"The Exams could be anything," I tell her. "I just want to cover all of our bases."

Sakura glares at Shikamaru. "That means you need to actually train when you are alone."

Shikamaru rolls his eyes. "I can see you have so much faith in me."

"I think we should continue practicing our team formations," I continue, ignoring the little tiff. "If there is a point where teams have to face off against one another then most of them are going to approach the situation both offensively and defensively. We will be doing what our team does best and hiding and planning out strategies to ambush and outsmart the enemies."

"That's a good idea because Asuma told us that all three of us have to agree to take the Exams if we want to participate in it," Shikamaru says. "That just insinuates to me that the majority of the Exams is going to be team based until we are weeded out somehow and there are only a handful of Shinobi left. By then, those who are left will get promoted to Chunin or may have to face off one on one or in battle royale style."

"I wonder how many other teams we are going to be competing against," Sakura comments.

"I don't know, but I know there will probably be some who are older than us that are still Genin," Shikamaru tells her. "We will have to watch out for they because they have probably taken the Exams a few times and have an idea to what to expect verus people like us."

"They might take an opportunity to team up on us rookies because it is rare for Genin fresh out of the Academy to attend the Chunin Exams," I warn my teammates.

Shikamaru nods. "They might get the impression that we are strong or talented so I think we should enter the Exams as weak and scared Genin who are only taking these Exams to avoid disappointing their superior."

Sakura nods. "Yeah. We can just hide and blend in with everybody so we do not stand out. By doing that, maybe the other Genin will not associate us with the other six."

Oh, we are going to stand out anyways because Naruto will most likely holler out my name as soon as he sees me and Ino and Sakura will get in some sort of argument over Sasuke. But, it is smart of them to come up with such ideas.

I clasp my hands together to grab their attention. "Since we already trained as a group today, I think we should spend the rest of the afternoon training on our own. For the rest of the week, we should do group training in the morning and individual sessions in the afternoon. I do not know about you guys, but I recommend in the evenings to eat an energized meal and go to sleep early so you can receive all the rest and energy you can get."

"Is there anything we should be specifically working on while we train alone?" Sakura asks.

I shake my head. "Just do what you usually do as along as you think it will benefit yourself and our team during the Exams. For example, there is no need to start learning a brand new jutsu when you can enhance your other skills these next five days."

Sakura nods. "Gotcha."

"Well, if we are done here I am going to head on home," Shikamaru informs us. "I'm going to see if my dad can give me some advice or anything."

"I probably won't even tell my parents about the Exams until the night before because they still freak out on me about the dangers of being a Shinobi," Sakura mumbles in an annoyed tone.

I wonder what it would be like to be a Shinobi with civilian parents. I can see it being potentially frustrating at times from both ends.

After saying our good-byes, we all depart and I head straight home to start planning. Five whole days to plan against one of the strongest and most sinister Shinobi alive, survive his Sound minions if we come across them, and make it out unmarked and alive to the finishing point. This is not going to be easy and I am going to have to get creative with Orochimaru. I wish I can remember how exactly the whole scene played out in the Forest of Death. I vaguely remember Team Seven getting separated, Naruto getting swallowed alive by a large snake, and Sasuke and Sakura facing off against Orochimaru's killer intent. Everything else is a blur to me.

For the next hour, I lock myself in my room and lay down on my bed, just staring at the ceiling in frustration. Not one good idea, or really any idea at all, is coming to me. Maybe if I train or go for a walk then a lightbulb will go off in my head. I'm not like Shikamaru and can just lay around and come up with a instant detailed plan; I have to be active in order to keep my mind active.

I leave the compound and start walking towards the direction of the Training Grounds before I halt in my tracks. It might be better for me to actually conserve my energy for training tonight and just to take a walk for now. I want to spend my afternoons planning and spend my nights perfecting my _Protective Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms_ because I finally have the technique down pat to the point that I can emit chakra for about ten whole seconds. I can get a few hours of sleep and then spend the morning with my team. I plan on getting most of my rest before the Second Exam because I want to just go off pure adrenaline until we reach the tower because I do not want to sleep in a forest with people and large animals who are out to hurt and, possibly, kill me.

I change directions and head towards Hokage Rock. At the pace I want to go at, it will probably take me almost an hour to get to the very top. That will give me plenty of time to, hopefully, come up with a foundation for a plan and build something up from there. Plus, my reward for hiking up the mountain can be a breathtaking view of Konoha.

Thankfully, a walk is something that I definitely needed to get the gears in my mind to start rolling. Various ideas and scenarios keep flashing through my head as I begin to remember the ones that I like and cancel out the ones that are bad. My goal isn't to kill Orochimaru, because that would be impossible, but to restrain him or distract him in some way where I can take that split second to get Sasuke to safety. I also have to worry about Shikamaru, Ino, Sakura, and Naruto and make sure Orochimaru doesn't pull a fast one and harm them in the process. However, I think my teammates will follow my lead because they seem to already see me as one at the moment since they agreed with my training schedule I came up with. Or I can be just overthinking things and they were just agreeing with me because it was just a good idea. Still, Sakura and Shikamaru are intelligent and pretty easy to get along with so maybe I can easily convince them to not question me when I tell them, in some way, that we need to team up with Team Seven.

Wait, that also means that I will have to convince Team Seven to team up with us and that team is made up of some of the most stubborn people I will ever meet. I might, _might,_ be able to get Naruto to, but Sasuke's pride will get in the way and Ino will not want to work with Sakura.

Ugh. This whole planning thing is not going to make my life easy.

* * *

The next five days went by fairly quickly to my dismay. It is like I blinked and it is the day of the First Exam and I do not feel prepared at all. I mean, I think I have came up with a good plan and our training sessions have been going well. I am just getting nervous.

An odd thing happened though during those five days. It was two days ago and I was taking my afternoon stroll up to Hokage Rock when I was randomly attacked by a Shinobi not from my village. He had on a blue and white jumpsuit that was covered by a long brown robe. His bottom half of his face was covered with a dark blue mask and he had a tan hat on that resembled an upside down bowl that someone would bake a pie in. He stood at an average height, was a little stocky, and had white eyes with no pupils. Kind of like he had rolled his eyes to the back of his head and left it there.

The foreign Shinobi had came out of nowhere and was attacking me with long range weapons. It is like he instantly knew I was more of a short range fighter than a long range one. Luckily, I had just gotten finished training with my comrades so I still had my weapons on me. I activated my Byakugan, threw a smoke bomb, and created a Shadow Clone to assist me. I pulled out one of my scrolls containing a straw dummy and my clone took it and rushed off.

The Shinobi cleared the smoke away with a wind jutsu and began hurling more weapons towards me at at rapid pace as I was starting to struggle to dodge them. The waves of weapons were coming so fast that I could not proceed closer to the enemy and kept wasting my energy by dodging. Finally, I sensed my Shadow Clone poofed away and I knew the plan was ready.

I weaved handsigns and used _Substitution Jutsu_ to switch places with the straw dummy that my Shadow Clone placed a few meters away from my opponent. The Shinobi turned around, but it was already too late for him. I surged chakra into my hands to use my chakra scalpels and thrust my palm forward, cutting into his shoulder. He curses and grasped his shoulder as I twirled around on my toes and made contact with his chest. I aimed next for his other shoulder, but he just jumped backwards and landed on top of a branch. I get ready to chase after him, but the man held his hand up and I stopped.

"You have done very well," the stranger had told me.

I had furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "Thank you?" I replied.

The man snickered. "But, the Chunin Exams won't be as easy as this fight. It will be a lot harder and you will be facing some difficult opponents."

I went on the defensive. "Why are you telling me this? Are you going to be in the Chunin Exams, too?"

The man just chuckled some more in response before poofing away. I had expanded my vision, but he was long gone. Being cautious, I had searched the whole village for Asuma, or really any elite Shinobi, to tell what happened but it is like everyone had disappeared for the day.

The next day, I figured out that Shikamaru and Sakura faced off against the same man when I told them what I had experienced. This made me wonder if this was some sort of test set up by our squad leaders to see if we were ready for the Chunin Exams. Though, I do not understand how a short fight like that will determine our readiness.

I push the strange memory to the back of my mind as I make my way over to Shikamaru and Sakura as they wait on me in front of the Academy doors.

"You're late," Shikamaru says to me.

"Hello to you as well," I reply back. "And, I am not late. We do not have to sign in for another forty-five minutes."

Shikamaru crosses his arms. "Technically, you are late because you told us yesterday that we should meet an hour before we have to sign in."

"That was just more for your sake in case you overslept," I tell him. "Or if you had decided to bail out, it would have given me time to go and find you while I allow Sakura to kill you."

Sakura giggles and playfully cracks her knuckles as Shikamaru sighs. "Why did I have to get stuck on a team with these two troublesome girls?"

"Let's just go ahead and go in to scope out the competition," I suggest. "Remember to blend in and not to draw any attention to ourselves. We should act afraid and not talk to anyone. Try not to make any eye contact, but try your best to observe everyone so we can make a mental note of who to stay away from."

Sakura and Shikamaru nod. "Yes!" "Sure."

As we are about to walk in, I hear a voice call out my name. "Hey, Hinata-chan!"

I sweatdrop. There goes our plan for keeping a low profile.

I turn around and wave. "Hey, Naruto-kun!"

"Are you here for the Chunin Exams, too?" he excitedly asks. I nod. "Great! That means we get to take it together!"

"If you're team is here than I bet Team Eight is going to be taking the Exams also," Sasuke points out.

Naruto rests his hands behind his head. "Awesome! That just means more people for me to battle against! Especially against that one guy with the mummy on his back!"

I blink. "A guy with a mummy on his back?"

Naruto widen his eyes. "Oh! I didn't tell you! So, the other day…"

As Naruto tells me the story of running into Gaara and his team, Sakura and Ino decide to exchange some not so friendly words.

"It seems like they will just let anyone take the Exams these days," Ino says to Sakura with a smirk on her face and one hand on her hip.

"Didn't you read the rules? No animals allowed in the building, Ino-Pig!" Sakura retorts back.

A tick mark flickers on top of Ino's head. "Shut up, Billboard Brow! You won't even be able to get inside the building with that forehead blocking the doors! Speaking of your forehead, I see you are starting to develop some frown lines! What a shame."

Sakura furrows her eyebrows and points at Ino. "Arrgh! Leave my forehead out of it!"

Ino responses by sticking her tongue out as Sakura shakes her fist.

Yikes! These two are so vicious.

"Since we are all here, how about we just all walk in together?" Naruto asks after finishing his story.

He sure is oblivious to the tense atmosphere in the air right now. Sakura and Ino do not want to be around each other right now.

"We were actually wanting to keep a low-profile so nobody will notice us," I reply.

Naruto gives me a puzzled look. "So, what does that mean? Is that a yes or a no?"

Ino sighs. "She means that her plan is not going to work if she is around your loud and obnoxious self."

Shikamaru shift his eyes towards her. "You're not so quiet yourself."

"Grrrr! What did you say?!" Ino growls.

Sakura looks over at Sasuke. "I'm so sorry you have to put up with someone like her, Sasuke-kun."

Ino jumps over and wraps his arms around Sasuke. "You don't know what you are talking about! He loves being around me!"

Sasuke glares at her. "Will you get off of me?"

I smack my forehead. This is a disaster.

I look back at Naruto. "We want to enter the Exams appearing as weak and afraid as possible so we can hide our skills. We are already going to have enough attention on us because we are only a few months fresh out of the Academy and already taking the Chunin Exams. That is almost unheard of. If you want to walk in with us, you have to be keep your eyes on the floor and your mouth shut."

I hope that I wasn't harsh with that last sentence, but Naruto seems unfazed. He gives me a big grin. "Oh, I get it now! Sure! I can be quite! Believe it!"

That was not at all quite. "I hope you can because the plan starts now!" I look at the four remaining Genin. "That goes for everybody." We all start to walk in as Sakura and Ino give each other one more staredown.

I swear to Kami I will kick Sakura and Ino's ass if they freaking argue during our future fight with Orochimaru.

Asuma told us that we had to meet in room 301 so we begin heading up the stairs until we were on the third floor. As we enter the hallway, we see a few Shinobi scattered around a doorway as two Shinobi that looks a few years older than us blocked anyone from going in.

Sakura stops walking and holds her arm out. "Wait," she mumbles. "This is not the third floor."

Shikamaru narrows his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Those two guys over there has casted a _False Surroundings_ genjutsu to confuse people," Sakura explains. "We are only on the second floor."

"Ah, good eye," I compliment Sakura.

I remember this scene now.

"Agh!" I hear a male grunt. We all focus our attention to the center of the crowd. Rock Lee seem to have gotten hit and is laying on the ground while Tenten bends down to check on him. Off to the side stands Neji with his arms crossed.

"You're taking the Chunin Exams, but you can't even get passed us?" one of the guys with a brown goatee taunts. "Why don't you just go ahead and run along before you get hurt?"

"Yeah, I think I hear your mommy calling ya," the other guy with black spiky hair remarks.

Geez, I know these two are just Chunin under disguise, but could they not come up with better comebacks?

Sakura looks at the group. "The questions now is how are we supposed to get through without causing any attention us? It doesn't seem like they are not going to let anybody through."

"Can we not just politely point out the genjutsu?" Ino asks.

Sasuke shakes his head. "I highly doubt they are going to just let us on through. They are standing there for a reason. Probably to scare off any Genin that are trying to check in. You see how those two are knocking around the boy and girl."

"Tch, how troublesome. Hmmm. Why don't you just cast your own genjutsu on top of the one that is already there?" Shikamaru asks Sakura.

No matter how much I tease Shikamaru, I will always be grateful for his genius mind.

Sakura nods. "Oh! That's a good idea. Let me try that."

She lifts up two fingers and I watch as the sign reading 301 changes into 201. I see Ino open her mouth to make a snide comment, but she seems to remember the plan and keeps it closed. The two guys guarding the door doesn't seem to notice the slight change, but someone from the group of loitering Shinobi does.

"Hey! The sign just changed!" the male points out. "You guys were tricking us this whole time?!"

The two Chunins blink in surprise before glancing up and they frown.

"Now is our chance to get through while everyone is rioting without anyone paying attention to us," I tell everyone.

They all nod and we begin to nonchalantly scurry our way down the hall like a bunch of frightened Genin. Suddenly, a kunai whizzed by my ear and Sasuke quickly catches it and hurls back towards the attacker. Goatee Man blocks it with another kunai while Spiky Guy poofs over right in front of us, causing us to stop dead in our tracks.

The black haired man smirks. "One of you screws up our illusion and then tries to escape? What a bunch of cowards."

How does he know that one of us specifically messed up their illusion? Well, they are Chunin in disguise so I shouldn't be shocked.

"W-we don't know what you are t-talking about, but we are just a bunch of c-cowards who are t-trying to check in," I reply meekly, trying to channel my inner anime/manga Hinata. "P-please let us through. W-we do not want a-any trouble."

Spiky Guy raises an eyebrow. "For a Hyūga, you don't have much confidence in yourself now do ya?"

I play with my fingers and avert my eyes downward. "I-I'm sorry," I squeak.

"We really don't have nothing to do with what just happened," Shikamaru protests.

"We are just trying to sign in before the deadline," Sakura adds in.

"Give me one good reason why I should allow a bunch of weaklings like you through?" the Chunin in disguise questions in a more serious tone.

Is this a test? Does he really want us to prove in some way that we are capable enough to at least check in? I guess that is understandable. To weed out the weakest before they even get the chance to take the Exams. Survival of the fittest.

Sasuke steps forward. "Alright, cut the crap. Let us through or else."

I sigh. Well, I thought Naruto would be the one to ruin our plans, not Sasuke. His pride prevents him from avoiding a challenge.

"Heh," Spiky Guy grunts. "I will rather take the or else, please." Sasuke grits his teeth and clenches his fist. Good! Keep yourself restrained! "Hmm? All talk, huh? I guess I will have to be the first to take action!"

The guy slings his leg out to throw a roundhouse kick towards Sasuke as he brings up his own leg to return his own kick. Neither leg collides as two hands reach out to stop them. Both males recoil the legs back as Lee let's go of them.

Wow, he's even faster in person. I didn't even see or sense him come over here. And, he was all the way on the other side of the hallway!

"Sasuke! We were suppose to be quite!" Naruto hollars.

"No, that was only you, dobe," Sasuke shots back. "We were suppose to just blend in and not stand out."

Naruto crosses his arms. "You still screwed up the plan, teme!"

Sasuke glances over at me and I shrug. "Hey, don't give me that look. He's right. You really did."

"Hn," Sasuke grunts as focuses his attention on Lee and begins to study him.

Neji and Tenten walks over and approaches Lee. "Hey! What do you think you are doing?" Neji snaps. "I thought it was your idea to keep a low profile so no one will figure out our skill level?"

Lee looks down. "I know, but-"

Tenten shakes her head. "Nevermind. It's over. Just forget it."

Lee ignores Tenten comment as he stares at Sakura and his face flushes red.

Sakura leans into my ear. "Why is he looking at me like that?"

Before I can answer, Lee strides over towards her. "Hi. My name is Rock Lee. You are Haruno Sakura, correct?"

Sakura blinks. "Yes, but why-"

Lee flashes a nice guy smile, winks, and sticks his thumb up. "Please be my girlfriend! I vow to protect you with my life!" His teeth gleam as he speaks.

Wow. I want to know his secret for doing that.

Sakura gives him a horrified look. "No… way."

I hear Ino burst out laughing in the background.

Lee's face drops. "Why?"

Hmm, maybe because she's never meet you before and you are being to upfront with her right now.

"Because you're a weirdo."

Damn. Brutal much? My answer was nicer.

Lee drops his head. "Awhhh."

Naruto chuckles in amusement over this whole scene.

Neji comes over and stands beside of me. "I'm surprised your squad leader even recommended you for the Chunin Exams." I give him a strange look. Is that suppose to be a jab? Neji notices my expression and shakes his head. "Let me clarify. I mean that I do not think you guys have enough experience to take the Chunin Exams. Even though I believe our team was ready last year, my sensei explained to us that there is a difference between a talented Shinobi and an experienced Shinobi."

I give him a reassuring smile. "Thank you for your concern, but I believe I will be just fine. I do not think that Asuma-sensei would recommend us for the Chunin Exams if we were not ready."

Neji doesn't seem convinced. "If you say so."

I don't know if I should feel offended or not. He either doesn't think I am capable enough yet to the Exams or he truly is just worried about me.

Neji flickers his eyes over to Sasuke and strides over towards him. "Hey, you! Over here!" Sasuke turns around and gives my cousin a bored glance. "What's your name?"

I smack my forehead. Why is Neji trying to appear intimidating all of a sudden? He doesn't live under a rock. He's heard of the famous Sasuke Uchiha.

Sasuke shoves his hands in his pockets. "It is common courtesy to give your own name first before asking for someone else's."

Neji ignores his smartass comment. "You're a rookie, aren't you? How old are you anyways?"

He's my age, Neji! My! Age!

Sasuke gives him a deadpanned stare. "I'm not obliged to answer."

Neji narrows his eyebrows in annoyance. "What's that?"

"Is it my turn to ask stupid questions now?" Sasuke taunts. "I am assuming you are Hinata's cousin. Well, I am pretty sure you know all the answers to those questions then."

Oooo, Neji just got burned!

"Hey! Do you want to know my name?!" Naruto shouts.

Neji gives him a strange look. "I already know who you are. We've met before."

Naruto stops jumping up and down and ponders for a moment. "Oh, yeah. I forgot."

Ugh, this is getting out of hand.

I clap my hands together to get my friend's attention. "Alright, alright. I think we should head on over and check in before we are to late."

"Alright! Let's go!" Naruto cheers as he runs on head.

Me and everyone else just look at each other and shrug before sprinting after him, leaving Neji and his team behind. As we run up the stairs, I notice a small smile resting on Sasuke's face.

"What are you so happy about?" I ask.

"I'm just excited for the Chunin Exams," Sasuke replies. "There are some many strong people to fight against. It is a freak show."

I try to think of who he is talking about: Gaara, Lee, Neji, maybe even Naruto?

I nod. "I would like to see some of these people's skills." Sasuke just nods back in agreement.

As we reach the top of the stairs and are about to go through an archway, we all hear a voice echo from behind us. "Hold on!" We all turn around and Lee perched on a ledge right above us. His thick bushy eyebrows are narrowed and he is giving us a serious look.

Ugh, stop staring at us. Your eyebrows give me the creeps.

"Ah! He's following us!" Sakura screeches as she takes a few steps back.

Ino shoves her foreward. "Quit being rude and say hi to your boyfriend."

Sakura gets in her face. "Shut it, porker!"

"What do you want?" Sasuke questions.

"I want to fight! Right here! Right now!" Lee hollars.

He wants to fight Sasuke? Hmm, this might be interesting to watch.

Sasuke gives Lee a look of slight interest. "Right here, right now, huh?"

Lee jumps off the ledge and onto to the ground. "Yes!" He stands up and points at himself. "My name is Rock Lee. You said it was common courtesy for a challenger to give his own name first, right Uchiha Sasuke."

Shikamaru whispers in my ear as Lee and Sasuke continue to talk. "We shouldn't stick around for this. We have less than thirty minutes before we have to check in."

I wave my hand. "We will be fine. We wanted to scope out the competition anyway, remember? Well, this guy appears really strong and fast and I want to study his skills."

Shikamaru sighs. "You're such a drag. Tell me, why do I even bother to listen to you again?"

I shrug. "Because I'm a charming girl?"

Shikamaru rolls his eyes. "More like a troublesome girl."

"AHHH! THOSE EYEBROWS CAN'T BE REAL!" Sakura's sudden loud yell distracts me from Shikamaru.

Alarmed, I shoot a glance over at Naruto. "What happened?"

"Bush Brow just told Sakura he loves her," Naruto replies in a slightly jealous tone.

Ino cups her hands around her mouth. "She loves you, too!"

Sakura shudder. "No, I don't! You hairstyle is horrible, those eyebrows are so bushy, and you're such a weirdo!"

I sigh in disappointment. I had thought that being around Shikamaru and I has dialed down Sakura's cattiness and slight mean streak just a little. Then again, Lee is being a little to brash right now so I am siding with Sakura on this one.

"You are an angel sent from heaven!" Lee remarks. He winks and blows her a kiss.

Sakura insults you and you give her a compliment back? Okay...

A floating heart comes out of Lee's eyes and heads straight towards Sakura.

Wait a minute… how the hell is he doing that?!

Sakura screams and dives towards the ground for her life.

Shikamaru loudly sighs. "While this is entertaining and all, and I love seeing Sakura in a frantic like this, can we just get on with this fight so we can check in?"

Ino crosses her arms. "You shouldn't even be challenging Sasuke-kun in the first place. He can totally kick your butt."

"It isn't smart to underestimate your opponents, Ino," I warn the blonde. "No matter how strange they may appear."

Ino shrugs. "I'm not. I'm just speaking the truth."

Sasuke takes a step forward. "Well, if you want to know more about my clan then I will teach you… the hard way!"

Lee smirks in anticipation from Sasuke accepting his challenge and he gets into his standard fighting stance. "Bring it on!"

"Hold it!" Naruto yells. Everyone turns to stare at him. "I get him first. This weirdo is mine!"

I wrap my arms around Naruto's shoulder to half comfort him and half restrain him. "Naruto! I know you want someone to notice you for once over Sasuke, but now isn't the time to be acting like a fool. I'm not trying to be mean, but Lee clearly wants to fight Sasuke. Just save your energy for the Exams."

"Your friend is right," Lee adds. "I am only interested in fighting with Uchiha."

Naruto clenches his fists. "It's always about Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke."

"When the Exams starts, I am sure you can find someway to make it about Naruto Naruto Naruto," I tell him. "You're pretty good at getting people's attention." In a positive and negative way.

Naruto grumbles, but eventually calms down and gives in. While I would love for Naruto to get noticed by someone, I know Lee can knock aside Naruto with one swift kick. No need for him to embarrass himself.

Sasuke steps forward. "Let's get this thing started."

"While I would love to watch you kick this weirdo's butt," Ino begins. "We have to register by three! You don't have time to fight him, Sasuke-kun!"

"Don't worry," Sasuke says to her. "This will only take five seconds."

Sasuke takes off running towards Lee as he just stands there.

What's up with people just running head on towards their enemy? I've always wondered that.

As expected, Lee quickly zips out of the way as Sasuke ends up punching thin air.

Lee spins around behind Sasuke and kicks his leg out. " _Leaf Hurricane!"_

Sasuke starts to barely dodge Lee's attacks, but he is going to slow. Lee is clearly outdoing in the agility department. Sasuke raises his arms up to block and attack, but Lee quickly goes through with his kick before Sasuke could get his arms up in time and hits him straight in the face. If I didn't know of Lee, I would have guessed he used some kind of ninjutsu to attack Sasuke just now.

"Sasuke!" Ino and Sakura both yell as Sasuke soars through the air and crashes to the ground.

Watching Lee fight in person versus a television screen like in my past life is two different experiences. In reality, he is so quick that an untrained eye would not be able to follow his movements, and he is not even going at top speed! For that, I would have to watch him with my Byakugan just to pick up on his chakra force in order to watch him fight.

"I've been waiting to try this out," I hear Sasuke say, breaking me out of my thoughts.

I look over at him and gasp. His eyes are blood red. He just activated his Sharingan! Woah, so cool! Still, I don't know if even that is going to help him in this fight. If I remember correctly, I don't think it does because Lee doesn't possess any ninjutsu or genjutsu. I wonder if I should warn Sasuke that all of his opponent's attacks have been purely taijutsu up to this point…. Nah, he needs to figure it out himself.

Sasuke takes off towards Lee again. This time, instead of evading Sasuke's attack, Lee sweeps his leg around and kicks it upwards, sending Sasuke flying through the air once more. I hear Ino, Sakura, Naruto, and even Shikamaru gasp in disbelief from Sasuke not being able to read Lee's next attack. Lee zooms forwards and kicks Sasuke's side and punches him in the gut. Sasuke grabs his stomach and tries to catch his breathe.

"Do you get it now?" Lee asks. "I am not using any ninjutsu and genjutsu, only taijutsu. I am not using any tricks and that is why you cannot see through my attack, Sasuke!"

Sasuke responses by gritting his teeth in annoyance.

Lee moves suddenly behind Sasuke, making it look like he almost teleported. Sasuke swings his right arms backward, but Lee dodges it back performing a backflip and lands perfectly on his feet.

"Your eyes may be quick enough to stay one step ahead of me, but your body is too slow," Lee explains to Sasuke. "If your body cannot keep up, what good are your eyes against me?"

"Rrrrrghhh," Sasuke growls.

"You know what? This is what I believe," Lee begins. "I believe that there are two different types of Shinobi: those like you who are born with talent and never have to work at it. And then, there are those like me, the ones who have to train everyday of our lives."

Sasuke shakes his head and runs after Lee in pure anger and blindly punches him while Lee gracefully dodges it. Sasuke keeps on throwing a barrage of punches as Lee keeps on dancing around them. In a split second between punches, Lee leans back and kicks Sasuke into the air. He jumps upwards and hovers his body just below Sasuke's as the bandages around his arms begin to unreveal. Lee and Sasuke seem to be talking up there, but I can't make out what they are saying. Whatever is going on, all I know is that I think Lee uses this move on Gaara once and it is a very dangerous one.

"Sasuke! Move your body! Get out of there!" I shout, even though I know it is hopeless. Everything is going to fast for Sasuke's body to react right now.

Suddenly, a kunai attached some pink ribbon appears out of nowhere and pins Lee's bandages against the wall, causing him to not finish his attack. We all look around in shock before noticing a random red turtle that wasn't there before just chilling in the corner.

"That's enough, Lee!" the turtle shouts.

Lee jumps away from Sasuke and lands on the ground while Sasuke free falls to the ground in a laid down position. I rush over towards him, but Sakura and Ino have the same idea in mind. Not wanting to collide with them, I take a step back and allow them to fight over who wants to catch him. Sakura wins out at the end and hops on top of Ino's shoulders and pushes off, causing her to collapse to the ground, and safely catches Sasuke.

"Sasuke? Are you okay?" Sakura asks. He ignores her and just glares at Lee. "Sasuke!"

I sadly shake my head. His pride is destroyed right now. He needs to be left alone. "Just leave him be," I call out to Sakura.

Sakura gives me a hesitant look. "But-"

I give her a knowing look. "Sakura…"

Sakura sighs and gently let's go of Sasuke, but doesn't leave his side.

As Lee and the random turtle talk to one another, Naruto runs over to me and Shikamaru. "Guys, am I the only one that thinks it is weird that Bushy Brow is talking to a turtle and it is talking back?"

Shikamaru shrugs as I widen my eyes and nod. To be honest, I do think it is weird because I've never seen an animal speak before! Even though it is totally normal in this universe.

"I wonder if that is Bushy Brow's sensei? He keeps apologizing to the turtle and everything so it must be true!"

"Are you prepared to take the punishment for your actions?" the turtle asks Lee.

Lee looks down. "I… yes, sir."

The turtle looks up. "Alright, please come out, Guy-sensei!"

A poof of smoke appears over the turtle's shell and a man who looks exactly like Lee pops up in the most goofiest pose ever with two fingers forming a circle around his left eyes, his right arm raised up, and his legs spread out and twisted in a weird position.

"Hey! What's shaking?! How you doing everybody?! Life treating you good?!" Guy greets to everyone.

Everybody, including me, stares at Guy with widen eyes and mouths agape. "Ahhh whaaaa?!"

"He's got the biggest eyebrows yet! They are almost alive!" Naruto shouts in horror.

Guy ignores out reactions and points at his student. "Hi, Lee!"

"... Too weird," Sakura says.

"Tell me about it," Ino says to her, agreeing with her for once.

"I knew we should've left," Shikamaru mumbles.

"I see where Bushy Brow get his soup bowl haircut from now and those big bushy eyebrows," Naruto comments, shuddering.

Lee spins around and raises a fist. "Hey! Do not insult Guy-sensei! He's one of the greatest men in the entire world!"

"Well, excuse me for not knowing his greatness! I was too busy watching him crawl out of a turtle!"

"He did not crawl out!"

Guy waves his hand. "Give it a rest, Lee." Lee turns around and nods. Guy nods back and raises his fist up. "Now, for your punishment!" He punches the shit out of Lee! "You little fool!"

Lee is sent flying through the air as we all gasp in horror again. This guy is crazy!

"I'm sorry, Lee. But, it was for your own g-good." Is… is he choking up?

"S-sensei…" Wait, why is he getting all choke up as well?!

Tears begin to stream down Guy's and Lee's face. "Oh, Lee."

"O-oh, sensei! I am so sorry!"

Suddenly, a sunset and a beach appears behind the two crying males… Where the hell did that come from?! This is not a genjutsu!

Guy and Lee spur out some more creepy heartfelt words before crashing into each other's arms in a strong embrace, crying on one another's shoulder. Even the damn turtle is crying!

I give Sasuke a weird look. "How did you lose to someone like that?"

Sasuke shakes his head. "Don't speak about it ever again."

"Now, take off!" Guy yells, pointing at nothing in particular. "A hundred laps around the practice field! Show me what you got! But, don't mess up your hair."

Lee clenches his fist in determination. "Yes! No problem!"

Are they really leaving now?

"Wait!" I call out. "You can't leave now! We all have to check in at three, which is fifteen minutes from now!"

Guy scratches the back of his head. "Er, yeah. I forgot about that." He drops his goofy expression and gives all six of us a more serious stare.

Sakura raises her hands up. "Ugh! He's looking at us!"

Shikamaru shifts his eyes other towards her. "Will you knock it off already?"

"The three of you, on the right, how is Kakashi doing?" Guy asks.

"Do you know him?" Sasuke asks.

He wouldn't be asking how your sensei was doing if he didn't know him…

Guy gives a smug look and rubs his chin. "Do I know Kakashi? Well, I guess you can say that he and I are arch rivals… for all eternity."

"No way!" Naruto and Ino both yell.

"If Guy-sensei says it is true then-" Lee begins to yell back.

Guy rests his hand on his favorite student's shoulder. "Let it slide, Lee. A Shinobi's actions always speak louder than words."

I glup. What is he about to do?

I didn't even blink and he's gone.

Wait! Where did he go?

I sense a presence appear behind us as Guy pops out of nowhere, startling everyone. "My track record is 50 wins and 49 losses, which is one better than his by the way."

We all spin around.

"You're kidding! How did you beat Kakashi?" Naruto asks in disbelief.

Guy jabs a thumb towards his way. "The fact is I am stronger than Kakashi. Also, I am faster."

Team Seven all gasp in surprise while our team just stare at him.

"Anyways, I'm sorry for all the problems Lee cause you," Guy continues, giving us a huge grin. He sure doesn't seem sorry. He's probably happy inside that Lee is capable of kicking Sasuke's ass. "Look into my eyes and accept my sincere apology. Also notice my handsome manly features."

I sweatdrop. Someone's conceited

I hear Sasuke growl to my left and I glance at him. What is he pissed about?

Guy hurls a kunai towards Lee trapped bandage, releasing it from the other weapon holding it hostage. "Lee! Why don't you accompany these fine Shinobi to the classroom?"

Lee doesn't say anything as he wraps his hands back up. That is when I notice how bruised his hands arm. Damn, he has been working hard.

"Remember to give your best! Lee, farewell!" Guy gives everyone a wave and departs into thin air along with his turtle summoning.

"Hey, Sasuke," Lee says. "I have not been totally honest with you. I said I wanted to test my skills, and that is true enough, but you are not really the one I want to test them against."

Sasuke's eyebrow twitches.

"When we were fighting before, I told you I was the best Genin here. But, there is another top Genin. Someone from my own team. I came here to defeat him. You were just practice. Though, now you are a target and I will crush you. There you have it! Consider yourself warned."

I sniffed and roll my eyes. I can't take him seriously. He is one of the kindest Genin in our bunch.

Lee gives me an odd look. "You are Neji's cousin, correct?"

I nod. "I am."

Lee suddenly changes his expression to glare. "I can tell. He's giving me that same reaction many times. Just like Sasuke, you can be born with talent and that makes you think that you can look down on people like me. But, I have worked hard to get to where I am today and nobody can ever convince me otherwise."

I stare at him in shock. Wait a damn minute! That is not my thought process at all!

"I think you are mis-" I begin but he doesn't listen as he jumps back up to the ledge and leaves the room.

I pinch my nose. Thanks a lot Neji. Now, I've created an enemy.

"What did you do to him, Hinata-chan?" Naruto asks, confused.

I shrug. "I have no clue."

The atmosphere in the group remains tense. Well, Lee sure knows how to shake people up it seems.

From behind me, I hear Ino and Sakura attempting to confront Sasuke as he broods.

"You saw Bushy Brows hands right?" Naruto asks everyone. Oh, so I'm not the only one that noticed. I'm actually a little surprised he did notice. "He must work hard, day in and day out. He's clearly works harder than you so I don't know why you're so upset right now."

"Naruto! What are you saying?! Knock it off!" Ino shouts, but Naruto just ignores her and rests his arms behind his neck.

"What I'm saying isn't bad," Naruto replies. "I'm just speaking the truth."

Sasuke turns towards us and smirks. "Fine. I won't let that stop me. These Chunin Exams are starting to get interesting. I can't wait to see what's next." Suddenly, everyone brightens up and feels motivated again, well except Shikamaru, as we all smile back at Sasuke. That's the spirit! No need to brood. "Come on, let's get this thing started."

"Yeah!" Naruto cheers.

"Whoohoo!" Ino cheers.

"Shannaro!" Sakura cheers.

"Alright!" I cheer.

"Yippie," Shikamaru mumbles.

We all walk through the archway.

 **Author's Note: I know this chapter was a lot of canon, but I tried to add in my own things. I feel that the Lee scene is necessary because I feel like that is the kicker that got Sasuke off his high horse that there may be better people than him here. I also feel like the Lee scene is an important opener to the thought that even if you are not born gifted, you can still be just as good if you work hard, which kind of reflects off Naruto and Sakura since they improve greatly over the course. Plus, the whole Lee scene is one of my favorite moments because I think it is funnier than hell. The whole interaction is. The next chapter will include Chunin Exam Part One and preparation for the Second Exam and next chapter is when you will learn about some of Hinata's plan that she came up with. I hoped you enjoyed it!**


	18. Chapter 18: Chunin Exams Arc: Part 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and I know that is a little shocking.**

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Chunin Exams Arc: Part One**

 **Chapter eighteen**

The doors to room 301 appears just ahead of us as we continue to walk towards it. As we get closer, I feel my nerves begin to set in. Pass through those doors is an audience of Shinobi from all sorts of backgrounds and who are years older than us. Some have taken these Exams before, meaning they know what to expect by now, while others are going to want to target us because they might have the preconceived notion that we are a bunch of talented Shinobi fresh out of the Academy. Fresh meat.

I shake my head. I don't know why I am getting so worried right now. We are only going in to take a test that we technically do not even have to complete. I can just sit through the whole thing without moving and pass with flying colors.

Suddenly, two smoke clouds poof right in front of the doors and two figures appear.

"Yo," Asuma greets us.

"I am glad to see you all came," Kakashi greets his team.

"Why wouldn't we have came?" Ino asks.

Kakashi shrugs. "It sounds like you had a couple of hardships to overcome on your way up here."

"That's because Sasuke-kun cannot say no to a challenge," I tell him in a teasing manner.

Naruto crosses his arms. "Yeah. He was just trying to be a show off."

Kakashi glances over at Asuma. "It seems like my team is more motivated than your team to take these Exams if they are already picking fights with the competition."

Asuma smirks. "Is that what you think, eh? I train my students to use their brains, not their fists. They were smart enough to keep a low profile, but then they ran into your team. Who, I must say, seems to always be the center of attention."

"That just means they have more personality than your students and are willing to take a risk."

"If you have forgotten, it isn't exactly their specialty to be loud and obnoxious like yours."

I raise an eyebrow. Are they seriously comparing who's team is better right now and in front of us? I can expect that from Kakashi and Guy, but not from Kakashi and Asuma. I wonder what sort of underlying reasoning is going on that I am not noticing?

Shikamaru shoves his hands in his pockets. "Can you two stop bickering and let us through already? We are going to be late."

Kakashi and Asuma focus their attention back towards us as if they were not picking at one another in the first place.

"Before you guys go in, I just want to say to you three that I am proud of you," Kakashi says to Team Seven, smiling with his one visible eye. "I couldn't ask for a better team."

Asuma nods. "As am I. You three have been working extremely hard to get to where you are now and have improved tremendously since this team formed three months ago."

Wow, it has only been three months? I am around these guys so often that it feels we've been Genin much longer than that.

Asuma and Kakashi step aside. "Good luck to you all!"

"Thank you," Sakura and I say to Asuma while Shikamaru gives him a small smile.

"We won't let you down, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto says to his sensei.

Ino pumps her fist in the air. "We are going to take these Exams by storm!"

Sasuke nods. "Thanks."

Naruto rushes forward and decides to dramatically push open the doors for all of us as we step on into the room. The doors slam behind us and we all gasp and widen our eyes at the sight we are seeing. Staring back us is probably more than hundred intimidating looking Shinobi. For being cramped in a tiny room, this is a lot of people.

Geez, can someone scream killer intent because I am feeling uncomfortable and slightly frightened at the moment.

"W-what is this?" Naruto questions in shock.

"I-I guess we are not alone," Sakura doing what she does best, stating the obvious. "Oh, man. I didn't realize there would be so much competition."

Oh, I hope this doesn't cause Sakura to back out at anytime during the test. She isn't the most confident in her skills as a Shinobi and is always comparing herself to Ino. This whole ordeal right now is not going to help her case.

I give her a reassuring smile and lower my voice. "We are going to be just fine. Just relax your mind and avoid making eye contact with the crowd."

Sakura nods in response and averts her eyes, but I know her mind is racing a million miles a minute right now.

Ino wraps her arms around Sasuke's shoulders. "I'm not worried. I know we can handle this, right Sasuke-kun?"

Any fear melts away from Sakura as she spins around and points at Ino. "Keep your grubby fingers off of him! He isn't some sort of toy that you can just manhandle!"

"I'm not manhandling Sasuke-kun!" Ino protests. "You're just jealous that I can get this close to him and that I am on the same team as him."

"I could have Sasuke-kun if I really tried, but I choose to restrain myself so I don't make myself look desperate like you do to yourself! How sad!"

I just stare that the two girls. Are they really this stupid? Do they not sense the threatening tension in the air right now? Have they already forgotten about the audience of Shinobi that is staring hole through us right now, hating our guts?

Naruto crosses his arms. "You know, I just don't understand your things for Sasuke and why you fight over him all the time. He isn't that impressive."

Ino and Sakura stop arguing and glare at Naruto. "Don't insult Sasuke-kun!"

Naruto shifts his eyes over towards me. "Teme better be grateful that you're basically the only girl that doesn't go crazy over him."

I open my mouth to say something, but Shikamaru beats me to it. "Nah, she is. She is just lowkey about it. She talks about him a lot and has even said his name in her sleep before."

I feel my face grow red. That little backstabber! "Are you serious right now?"

Shikamaru shrugs. "I'm just speaking the truth."

I curl back my lips. "I'm so getting you back for that." I turn towards Sasuke. "I'm not a crazy, rabid fangirl like these two. I swear."

"Who are you calling crazy?!" Ino shouts.

Sakura gets in between me and Ino. "She just called you crazy, Ino-Pig! Is your brain really that small that you can't comprehend what she is saying?"

"She just called you crazy, too!"

"Yeah, but at least I know I can be!"

I put my hands to my head. How can Sasuke cause all of this without even saying a word? Here I thought Naruto would be the one to get everyone to target us. It has been Sasuke all damn day.

"Well, well. It sounds like the whole gang is back together again," I hear Kiba's voice say as he, Shino, and Choji approach the group.

Great, we really need Kiba's loud ass mouth and Choji's loud ass chip bag to the chaos we are already causing. Anyone else want to join and be public enemy number one with us?

"Man, you guys are here, too?" Shikamaru complains. "Everyone is here for this stupid thing."

"Yep, we are all here! The nine rookies!" Kiba announces loudly.

Choji waves at Shikamaru. "Hey, Shikamaru! Haven't seen you in awhile. Want a chip?"

Shikamaru gives his friend a smile. "Hey, man. Nah, thanks. I'm good."

Choji shrugs. "Suit yourself."

Hmm, I forgot how close of friends Shikamaru and Choji are. I hope they don't stray away from one another just because they are not on the same team. They were each other's first friend.

"I can't wait until these Exams start. This is going to be fun!" Kiba smirks. "Well, at least those of us that are good enough to make the cut, right Sasuke?"

Sasuke smirks back. "Kiba, careful that you don't get overconfident."

"Just wait! We are going to blow you guys away! We've been training like crazy."

Naruto narrow his eyes and points at Kiba. "What do you think we've been doing? Sitting around? You don't even know what training means!"

Yes, Naruto and Kiba. Let's just shout very loud how hard we've all been training. I wonder if Shikamaru can use his new Earth Style jutsu to create a whole in the ground so I can hide in it to avoid being even more of a target. The Rookie Nine sure is made up of a bunch of loud, strange, arrogant, and overconfident jerks. Except for me because I am awesome.

Akamaru randomly barks and I smile. Besides me, I guess he is the most normal being in this group. He is so cute and tiny. I just want to pet him!

I take a step foreward to do so, but Shino suddenly gets in my way in a threatening manner, towering over me.

I narrow my eyes in confusion. What's his problem? "What's wrong?"

Shino looks down and I follow his gaze as I notice a bug scurrying across the floor. "I thought maybe you hadn't seen it. I didn't want you stepping on it."

Damn, Shino is very protective over his bugs. I don't know why he is getting all angry. I didn't even see it there! I don't walk with my damn head down. I should just freaking step on it...no that's a mean thought.

I take a step back. "Sorry."

Shino nods, but then Sasuke speaks up. "Hey. Don't ever approach her like that again, especially over a stupid bug."

I snap my head towards him. Oh, please don't start.

Shino raises an eyebrow. "Just over a stupid bug? Excuse me?"

Sasuke grunts. "Hn. You heard me."

Kiba rubs his face. "One thing about Shino, don't insult his bugs."

Both males glare at each other as Ino gives me a jealous look. "Why is he so protective over you?"

That's it. I'm tired of holding back my tongue. "Because I am not annoying, clingy, and desperate like you. You shouldn't even be considered a Shinobi with all the time you put into obsessing over your looks and Sasuke."

Ugh, I'm so tired of her being a bitch when it comes to Sasuke

Ino gives me a surprised look as everyone grows quite and an awkward silence feels within the group. I sigh. This is why I don't express my inner thoughts. I think I just went a tad overboard with my insult.

"Hey, you guys! You might want to try and keep it down a little," a familiar voice suggests as I tense up. Shit, I forgot about him. I turn around and see Kabuto making his way towards us with an amusing look on his face. "No, offense but you guys are the nine rookies, right? Fresh out of the Academy? I wouldn't be making a spectacle of yourselves. Just cool it. This isn't a class field trip."

My eyebrows twitch as anger surges through my body. Telling us to cool it? How about you get the hell away from us? I just snapped at Ino and I really don't want to go off on you right now and blow my cover!

I take a deep breathe, but that seems to catch Kabuto's attention. "What's wrong with you?" he politely asks.

I remain silent and Sasuke, thankfully, speaks up for me. "It isn't really any of your concern."

Ino shakes her head and glares at Kabuto. "Who are you, anyways? Why are you bothering us?"

Kabuto smiles. "I am Yakushi Kabuto. But, really. Look around you. You all have made quite an impression."

Everyone glances around the room except for me. I am already aware that we have indirectly made many enemies with our loud mouths and that we are being glared at right now.

"See those guys?" Kabuto asks, looking over at a trio of foreign Shinobi. "They are from Amegakure. They are very touchy and short-tempered. I suppose everyone here is, really. The Exams are very stressful"

I perk my ears up. Genin from Amegakure are taking the Chunin Exams here in Konohagakure? My memories of Amegakure are fuzzy, but aren't they a very secluded village? I am assuming Pein is the currently leader right now. Has he sent out Genin so nobody suspects anything of Amegakure or did he send them to be on the lookout for Naruto? I don't remember any Ame Shinobi personally bothering Naruto so maybe I shouldn't be worrying about them.

Speaking of Pein, I wonder if Orochimaru has branched off from him and the Akatsuki yet? Probably so if he is after Sasuke. Speaking of the Akatsuki, I wonder if Kabuto is working under Sasori. Both Orochimaru and Kabuto are in the same room with me right now. Maybe I should just ask them.

"But, I shouldn't be so hard on you guys," Kabuto continues. "You all wouldn't know how things worked around here. You're just rookies. You remind me of myself from awhile back."

"This isn't the first time you've taken the Exam?" Sakura asks.

Kabuto scratches the back of his head. "No. This is actually… my seventh."

Shikamaru raises his eyebrows in surprise. "Huh? Really?"

"Well, they are held twice a year so this will be my fourth year."

"Wow! A veteran," Sakura says. "You must be an expert by now.

Kabuto gives a smug smile. "I guess you can say that."

"Cool! You can give us all the inside tips!" Naruto exclaims.

Shikamaru snorts. "Yeah, some expert he is. He's never passed."

I want to give Shikamaru a high five. Speak that truth, boy!

"Well, you know they say seventh time's the charm," Kabuto says in a slightly embarrassed tone.

Shikamaru sighs. "So, I guess all those rumors about the Exams being difficult are true. I knew this was going to be a drag."

"Now, don't lose hope yet," Kabuto tell him. He begins to search through his pockets. "I think I have something that can help you kids out a little…" He flashes us a deck of orange cards. "... With my... Shinobi Info Cards." Did he have to say that so dramatically? What a lame ass.

"What the heck are those?" Sakura asks.

"It is a little hard to explain, but these cards are chakra encoded with everything I have learned over the past four years," Kabuto replies as he bends down and sets down his deck of cards.

As Kabuto explains and shows how the cards work, I lean into Shikamaru's ear. "Is it just me, or do you also find it a little odd that a Genin like him has so much info about everything and everyone?"

Shikamaru nods. "It is a little strange. I don't care how many times he's taking the Exams, how does he have info about Shinobi he's never even met before? How did he even know who was going to partake in these Exams?"

"Yes. I don't recall that being public knowledge. I mean, we haven't even signed in yet."

"Unless the freak has been stalking everyone these past five days."

"Either way, I think we should inform Asuma-sensei about this as soon as possible."

Shikamaru is the only person that I trust that is smart enough to realize that Kabuto should not have access to this sort of information. It seems like everyone else doesn't seem to care because they in awe on how awesome his cards are and want to gather as much information as they can since they are newbies. Which, I understand and would probably be acting the same way if I didn't know who Kabuto was. Hopefully, telling Asuma about Kabuto will get relayed back the the Third Hokage, his father, and they will start watching him extra closely.

As I pay attention to Kabuto again, I realize that he has just gotten finished reading off Gaara's stats. If Kabuto has knowledge about anyone in this room, I wonder what he has on me? Nah, I can't ask him that; can't be revealing my skills to the enemy. But, maybe I can learn about the enemy's skills "at random" and attempt to shift the target from Sasuke to me. Even just a little.

"I want to know about someone, too," I quickly chime in before Kabuto can pull out his map card again.

Kabuto smiles. "Who would you like to know about?"

I activated my Byakugan and begin to search the crowd of Shinobi. All I remember is that Orochimaru's disguise is a woman with long dark hair and is wearing a forehead protector from Kusagakure. I find him hidden in the back corner of the room with his two other Kusa teammates, humorously watching the scene like everyone else.

"The woman with long dark hair who is from Kusagakure," I reply.

With my Byakugan, I saw the slightest twitch of Kabuto's eyebrow that the normal eye would not be able to see and he nods and begins to search his deck. From the corner in the back, I see Orochimaru give a brief look of confusion and irritation before I deactivate my Byakugan. Asking about Orochimaru's disguise isn't going to put me in any danger, at the moment, because he is not going to risk blowing his cover to try and confront me or anything for asking about him in front of everybody.

"Huh? Why do you want to know about her?" Naruto questions. "Have you met her before?"

"Are you trying to make enemies?" Shikamaru mumbles.

I shake my head and ignore my teammate to answer my best friend. "I just wanted to know some information about some of the stronger Shinobi in this room and her presence caught my interest. Sasuke received his answers from his choice and I am merely doing the samething."

I flash Kabuto an innocent smile as he continues to shuffle through his deck of cards. "Let's see here," he mumbles. Is it just me or is he stalling? He finally picks a card and puts an ounce of chakra in it. "Ah, here we go. Actually, the person you have pointed out is a male named Shiore, not a female, from Kusagakure." I try not to allow my face to grow red as I stare at Kabuto with a serious look. Well, now I look like a major dumbass. I could've swore he was a woman. "He has completed 22 D-rank missions and 17 C-rank missions. Not bad. I do not have anything else on him other than he relies on his speed during battles."

I nod. Of course you don't have much information on your own boss. How very convenient.

"Does anyone else want to know about anyone?" Kabuto asks. No one answers and he puts away his card. "All I have to say is that the Shinobi who have entered the Exams this year are exceptional. In my four years of taking these Exams, I have never seen a crop of candidates with as much potential as this bunch."

As Kabuto says that, I see Naruto's body begins to quiver out of the corner of my eye. Is… is he getting scared?

"Hey, it's okay to be scared," I hear Ino say. She comes up and rests her hand on his shoulder. Weird, Ino is actually being nice to him? "Don't worry, Naruto. We will be fine-huh?"

"Ryahhhhhhhhhhhh!" Naruto shouts as he spins around and points at the crowd of Shinobi. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto and I'm going to beat everyone of you! Believe it!"

Sasuke smirks and I give in with him. We have already made enemies with almost everyone anyways. I think we can allow Naruto to insult them now if he wants.

Naruto rests his hands on the back of his neck. "Whoohooo! I feel a lot better now!"

Kiba covers his mouth. "Uhhhh, can you say that again a little louder? I didn't quite catch that."

Shikamaru rolls his eyes. "Moron. Are you trying to get everyone in the place to hate our guts?"

I look at him. "Actually, everyone hates us already so no harm in him screaming at them."

Shikamaru raises an eyebrow. "Are you really condoning all of this?"

I shrug. "Why not? It is better to be positive and confident instead of negative and worried."

Shikamaru sighs. "If we get ganged up on, I do not want to hear you complain."

"Why? Are you worried that I will do a better job than you at it?"

"Tch. That doesn't even make sense."

Ino rushes over to Naruto and puts him in a chokehold. "Naruto! You jackass! Why did you have to go and say something like that?!" She nervously smiles and waves her hand towards the other glaring Shinobi. "Oh, don't mind this idiot. He has a psychological condition that makes him shout stupid things that he doesn't even mean." She goes back to choking Naruto.

"S-stop! Fine!" Naruto groans. Ino let's go and he gasps for air.

As Ino continues to fuss at Naruto, I suddenly sense three chakra flares heading towards Kabuto. I whirl around just in time to see one of the Oto Shinobi with black spiky hair hurl two kunai towards Kabuto. Kabuto jumps backwards to get out of the way. The Oto Shinobi that looks like a mummy appears before the undercover spy and reaches out to punch him. Kabuto easily dodges it and jumps away from them again. Kabuto smirks from his success and then his glasses shatter, bits and pieces crumbling to the ground.

"It was that sort of attack I see," Kabuto says to Mummy Man (sorry I forgot the trio's name. It has been a while.) as he takes off his glasses and inspects them.

Sasuke takes a step forward. "Hey! Hold it! I saw it all! He dodged that attack! What happened?"

"It must've came closer than he thought," Shikamaru comments. "Tch. Look at him acting like he's some tough guy."

I am just so happy that Shikamaru seems to dislike Kabuto as much as I do. But, I believe that the metal armor on Mummy Man's arm caused some type of attack to come out of the holes. I think it is suppose to mess with their ears or head or something. I mean, they are considered Oto Shinobi for a reason. To my delight, Kabuto begins to bend over and dry heave from the aftermath of Mummy Man's attack.

"W-what's going on?!" Naruto demands to know in shock. "Kabuto! What's wrong?"

The rest of the rookies stare at Kabuto and the Oto Shinobi in a mixture of fear, shock, and confusion as I just stare at him in satisfaction. Ehh, the others will come to realize he deserved it once they figure out his true colors.

Kabuto continues to cough some more as Naruto and Sakura run over to check on him.

"Are you alright?" Sakura asks.

Kabuto weakly nods. "Y-yeah."

"Not such a tough guy after all," Mummy Man taunts, staring amusedly at Kabuto with his one visible eyes. "No wonder he is on his seventh try."

"Humph. Write this on your little cards punk: the Genin from Otogakure with be Chunin when all of this over!" the dark haired boy says to Kabuto. Naruto growls and looks at them in rage.

Damn! What is their names?

My question is never answered as a huge poof of smoke appears at the front of the room. "Alright! Pipe down and listen up you baby-faced vermins!" a voice shouts through the smoke. Everyone instantly grows quiet as the smoke clears up, revealing a group of Chunin and one Special Jounin. The scar-faced Special Jounin smirks. "It is time to begin! My name is Morino Ibiki and I will be your proctor and, from this moment, your worst enemy!"

Everyone grows quite as they eye Ibiki.

Finally! Geez, what took so long? I guess they were, somehow, observing all of us and enjoying the fact we were all picking on each other and making ourselves easy prey.

"But, first!" Ibiki shouts as he points towards the Oto teens. "You candidates from Otogakure, knock it off! Who told you that you can fight? Do you want to fail before we have even begun?!"

The Mummy Man looks at Ibiki and I swear he is smirking underneath those bandages. "Sorry. This is our first time. I guess we are a little jumpy… _sir_."

What a smartass. Torture him Ibiki! Sic 'em!

After Ibiki threatens the room about fighting other candidates, he explains that we need to line up in order to grab a number for the written exam that we are about to take.

"Did...did he say a written exam?" Naruto asks, eyeing one of the Chunin that is shuffling around some papers. He widens his eyes. "No way!"

I nudge his arm. "You will do fine, Naruto-kun. I promise!"

Naruto gives me an unconvincing look as we line up and wait our turn. When I grabbed the piece of paper and unfolded it, it read "Seat 64". I walk over to find my seat and I am not surprised to find Naruto sitting beside of me.

"Oh, whew!" Naruto sighes in relief as he notices me taking a seat. "At least I'm sitting next to you."

I smile. "Maybe me sitting next to you will calm your nerves."

Naruto shakes his head. "Nope! I'm totally going to fail!"

I rest my hand on his shoulder. "Just trust me. I have never lied to you before so listen to me when I tell you this: I promise you will do fine."

Naruto gives me another unconvincing look and opens his mouth to say something, but a continuous tapping noise from up front disrupts him.

"Alright, everyone!" Ibiki says to us, tapping a piece of chalk towards the blackboard. "Eyes up front! There a few rules that you need to be aware of. And, I will not answer any questions so pay attention the first time around!"

"Rule number one…" Ibiki begins as he starts to write on the blackboard.

As he goes over the rules, I tune him out. I already know them already and what the outcome of this particular Exam is going to be. I am actually happy for once to know what is going to happen because nothing seems to have been going my way lately. Should I even bother to take this written exam? I can literally just sit here the whole time and pass. However, that might look a little suspicious if I just sit there. Maybe I should have a little fun and see how good of Shinobi I am and try to take this test like everyone else without getting caught. It beats being bored and just sitting there and I can use my forehead protect and bangs to cover part of my eyes to use my Byakugan. I'm not as smart as Shikamaru and Sakura, who are capable of answering these questions correctly. I mean, I might be able to if I actually concentrate, but that is also a boring option.

"WHAT HE SAY?!" I hear Ino scream, disrupting me from my thoughts.

I notice Naruto's face drop so I think we are at the part now that they figure out that anybody on a squad who makes a zero will fail.

"The final question won't be given out until fifteen minutes before the end of the testing period," Ibiki informs everyone. "You'll have one hour total to take this exam." He glances up at the clock and dramatically waves his hand. "Begin!"

The grows tense and silent as everyone begins to stare at their tests. I hear grumbles of confusion and displeasure from some of the Shinobi realizing that these are questions that are not meant for your average Genin to answer. I glance down at my own paper and instantly feel the same way. Damn, these problems are hard! Yeah, good them I know what is coming up because I would be freaking out like Naruto right now. Speaking of Naruto, he is currently beating his head with his hands out of frustration at the moment. Heh, at least he is making this serious situation comical for me. But, I suppose I will wait about ten or so minutes when people are starting to put a few answers down before I start cheating off Sakura.

After a few minutes, I begin to hear the noise of pencils hitting papers as people begin to jot down answers. It is time to cheat now! I undo my forehead protector, wrap it around my head, and cover some of my eyes with my forehead as I lower my head to look at my paper. I activated my Byakugan and feel my vision expand. I notice Akamaru scouting out answers from onto of Kiba's head, a tiny bug flying around from Shino, and mirrors that attached from some wire hanging from the ceiling because of Tenen to help out Rock Lee. All clever ways to cheat without getting "caught". Actually, I think the proctors know that we are cheating, but they have no actual proof that we are. They want us to do more than just look over at our neighbor's paper. I am about to focus my vision on Sakura when a kunai zooms by mine and Naruto's ear and lands on a brown headed boy's paper behind us.

Welp, looks like he's finished.

"What was that all about?" the boy asks, jumping up from his chair.

A Chunin with the black spiky hair and with a bandage resting on his nose smirks. "Five strikes and you're out. You just failed the test."

Ethier these Chunin have really look eyes or some of these Genin just suck at cheating. I mean, I really shouldn't be judging since I have my Byakugan to help me out. But, someone with no special powers like Tenten is making the use of her skills and weapons to cheat. You just have to think outside of the box.

More numbers are called out as more and more Genin are caught cheating and tossed out of the room. I attempt to ignore the commotion as I concentrate on Sakura. I see that she is already on her seventh question and I begin to copy down her answers. God, she is so smart! I am about to write down the fifth answer, when Sakura's body goes slump. I pause in confusion for moment and notice that just three rows behind Sakura is a slump Ino. Heh, I guess we are at the part now where Ino cheats off Sakura. Smart girl. I continue on with my test and then deactivate my Byakugan and place my pencil down. Well, that killed about ten minutes. Only twenty-fives more minutes until the tenth question is announced and we all pass!

I flicker my eyes over towards Naruto to see how he is doing and notice him finally giving in and sneakily looking at the guy's paper sitting next to him. As he does so, I hear a Chunin begin to rapidly mark on his clipboard and stare at Naruto. Crap! He's going to use up all his strikes and fail! I need to distract him! I raise my arms up to stretch so I can "accidentally" bump the back of his head, when his eyes suddenly widens and his body goes slump. I drop my arms and just stare at him. Is he just deciding to give up now? Seconds later, he raises his head up and smirks as he picks up his pencil and begins to quickly write down answers. I nod in realization: Ino has taking over Naruto's body to help him out.

"Thanks for helping him out," I whisper to "Ino".

She pauses for a moment and gives me a surprise look. "How did you…"

I shrug. "I guess I have eyes in the back of my head or something."

She frowns at my joke and continues to write. I guess she's still mad at me for insulting her earlier. Ugh, I need to apologize to her later.

A few minutes later, Ino leaves Naruto's mind and Naruto returns. He appears to be in a haze as he blinks and looks around. He glances down at his paper and his eye widen at the fact that there are answers on this exam now. He looks over at me in disbelief, but I wave my hand to hint that I will tell him later. He takes a deep breath and relaxes in his chair.

"Alright! Listen up!" Ibiki suddenly shouts. "It is time for the tenth and final question! But, before I do there are some more rules you need to be aware of…"

The door in the back of the room opens up, cutting Ibiki off, and Kankuro enters the room from his "bathroom break" with his puppet.

Ibiki smirks. "Ah. You made it just in time. I hope you found your trip to the bathroom enlighten. Go ahead and take your seat." Kankuro makes his way to his seat and sits down. "Good. Now, these rules I am about to tell you are unique to question ten. Listen carefully and try not to let them frighten you."

Well, if you say stuff like that than you are going to scare off some uncertain Genin.

As Ibiki begins to explain the new rules and how "we can never take the Exams again if we get the tenth question wrong", Genin start to quit like crazy. I swear Ibiki cleared the room by forty Shinobi within a minute. This man is good at messing with people's mind… and he is only using his words! I wonder what he can do physically to a person… eh nevermind I do not want to know or find out. At least I don't have to worry about anybody on Team Seven or Ten giving up. The only reason Sakura thinks about quitting before is because of Naruto and Naruto only raises his hand to give his motivational speech, which I doubt he will even give this time around his Ino helped him on his test. Though, it might actually be good on our part that Naruto isn't giving his speech because that prevented anybody else from leaving before and now it seems like more people are quitting this time around. Less enemies for us to face in the Forest of Death.

"Well, I admire everyone's determination for those who have decided to stick around," Ibiki finally says, staring around at all of us. "For those of you that is remaining, there is only one thing left to do and that is for me to tell you…" He smiles. "That you all have passed the first part of the Chunin Exams."

"H-huh… we passed?" Naruto says in confusion.

Sakura shoots out of her seat. "Hold on, what happen?! What do you mean we passed?! Where's the tenth question?"

I smack my forehead. Will you shut the hell up?! We passed! Be happy!

Ibiki chuckles. "There never was one! Not a written one at least. Actually, your decision to stay was the answer to the tenth question."

"Wait a second!" Temari shouts. "So, the other nine questions were just a waste of our time? Is that what you're saying?!"

Ibiki playfully looks up. "Oh, no. Not at all. Quite the opposite. The first nine questions had an important overriding purpose: to test your ability to surreptitiously gather strategic intelligence under the most adverse circumstances."

Temari blinks. "Oh, well that clears up everything."

Ibiki finishes explaining the purpose of this exam and unties his forehead protector that he has covering his head and reveals disgusting scars, puncture wounds, and burn marks. I gasp. This is even more creepier in person to witness. "Those who were caught during the test failed. Better not to cheat than to cheat clumsily. Information; it can be the most valuable weapon in battle. How well you gather intelligence can determine whether a mission is a failure or a success. There will be times you will have to risk your life to get it!"

I glup. I would risk my life in a heartbeat for my friends and family, but would I risk myself for some information that may or may not help me out in battle, save the village, and etc? I really don't know. I would like to think I would since I love my village so much and would do anything to protect it. But… I also love my life and I really do not care to die a second time at a young age. Unfortunately, dying at a young age is very common in the field I am in. Still, even if I wasn't reborn as Hinata and was reborn as a totally new character, I would still become a Shinobi. In any circumstance, I know it is my destiny, no wait I sound like Neji, my job to protect as many people as I can and alter the future in a positive way with my knowledge and the information I know, even if it kills me.

Heh, I think I would be a pretty good Chunin squad leader if I do say so myself. It would give me some good leadership skills that will help me out when I become the Head of my clan. That is if I pass these Exams the first time around. Which, to be honest, isn't my top goal. I mean, it would be nice to get promoted, but I am more focused on saving Sasuke and somehow preventing at less casualties as I can from Orochimaru's invasion. I would actually tell the Third Hokage about any future events coming up in a heartbeat if he wasn't backed up by Danzo and the other Council members. I'm pretty sure he would believe me, with proof of course, but sadly that isn't the case and it is better to play the role of the super intelligence kunoichi.

"Alright! We did it! That's one down!" I hear Naruto shout, bringing me back to reality. Man, I should stop letting my mind drift off. "Yeahh! Whoooohooo!"

Suddenly, a kunai crashes through the windows to my left, causing glass to shatter everywhere. A figure jumps through and throws two kunai towards two corners of the room in order to pin up a large banner that read: " _Newly arrived second chief examiner officer Mitarashi Anko!"_

"Heads up, boys and girls! This is no time to be celebrating!" the woman hollars. "I'll be your next proctor! Mitarashi Anko! You all ready for the second test? Good! Then, let's go! Follow me!" She pumps her fist up in the air.

We all just stare as she stares stupidly back at us.

Ibiki steps around the banner. "You're early. Again."

Anko's face turns slightly red as she makes a nervous grunting noise.

Don't worry Anko. At least you have some nice chi chi's. Flash those babies and everyone will forget about your embarrassing entrance.

"How many are there?" Anko asks, looking at her friend. "Ibiki, you let all of these guys pass? Hn, your test was to easy! You must be getting soft."

She thinks there's a lot of people left? There's only seventy-eight of us remaining; 26 teams.

"Or, it could be that there are a stronger crop of candidates this year," Ibiki replies matter of factly.

"Hmm," Anko mumbles, eyeing all of us. "They sure don't look it. Trust me, before I am done with them more than half will be eliminated."

"M-more than half… really?" Sakura asks.

Anko senses Sakura's fear and smirks. "Heh, this is going to be fun." She puts on a more serious face. "Alright, you maggots have had it easy so far! But, things are going to be different starting first thing in the morning. I will let your squad leader know where to meet me. Dismissed!"

Everybody gives each other a confused and frightened look before getting up and regrouping with their teams. I went back towards the back with Shikamaru and Sakura.

"What do you is going to happen tomorrow?" Sakura asks me as I approach her.

Okay, time to put my plan into action.

I give her a nervous look. "Well, based off what she said and her tone of voice I say that it is going to be something dangerous and difficult if she's so sure that over half of us will be eliminated."

Shikamaru shrugs. "If we quit now, we won't have to to find out."

Sakura shifts her eyes over to him in annoyance and then looks back at me. "Would they really put us in a situation that could harm us?"

I nod. "I mean, it is the Chunin Exams. It sounds like everything goes. If tomorrow is going to be potentially dangerous, I think we should get ourselves prepared for it."

Shikamaru raises an eyebrow. "Prepare for it. How?"

Sakura nods her head. "Yeah, how can prepare for the unknown?"

"Well, you really can't be fully prepared, but we can at least try," I admit. "We can prepare for it by bringing more weapons than usual and maybe even packing a backpack as if we were going on a mission or a night or two."

Sakura clasps her hands together. "Oh, that's a great idea! It is better to be safe and sorry."

"What's a great idea?" Naruto asks as he, Sasuke, and Ino make their way towards us.

Sakura frowns and crosses her arms. "I'm not telling you with her there." She winks at Sasuke. "Though, I can tell you later, alone, if you like, Sasuke-kun."

A tick mark appears of Ino's head and I sigh. I am not going through this again. "I was just telling my teammates what if we prepared ourselves for Part Two tomorrow, since it sounds like it is going to be dangerous and difficult, and bring extra weapons and lightly pack a backpack for a just incase type of thing."

"You're so smart, Hinata-chan!" Naruto exclaims. "You always think of the best ideas!"

I pretend to blush and wave my hand. "Awhh, you."

Sakura narrows her eyes at me. "Why are you telling them? Shouldn't we keep our plans to ourselves?"

I just stare at her. "You were just offering to tell Sasuke, who would've told his teammates. Either way, they were going to find out."

Sakura rolls her eyes, but doesn't argue any further.

"Well, if they're in on our little plan then I'm going to tell Choji," Shikamaru says. "He's my buddy."

I nod in approval. "And, I will tell my cousin Neji!"

Ino throws her hands up in the air. "Let's just tell everyone while we are at it!"

I shrug. "I would rather see my friends make it through the next round instead of some strangers from another village. Even though we are competing against one another, wouldn't it be better to compete with people that you know and are familiar with their skills?"

Ino remains quiet as she ponders over what I said. Heh, she knows I'm right.

Our talk doesn't last much longer and I find myself back at the compound before I know it. After a short dinner with my father and sister, I hurry to find Neji to tell him about my plans so he can tells his team and then I lock myself in my room for the night to prepare for tomorrow. I end up storing all the weapons that I owe, and that won't fit into my weapons pouch, into an empty scroll, and filled another scroll with rations, water, and another outfit. By doing this, we can focus more on staying alert within our surroundings instead of being hungry and looking for food. This will also save us from wondering around and stepping to any hidden traps. I tossed the scrolls into my backpack and zipped it up. Storage scrolls really do come in handy and I think they should be used more often on missions to travel more lightly.

I go over my plan on how to take on Orochimaru once again in my head before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, I meet everyone at Training Ground Forty-Four. I know that everybody in the Konoha 12 came prepared with their backpacks and other Shinobi around us were eyeing us. I glup. Maybe I didn't think this through enough that this would put a slightly bigger target on our backs. I hope it doesn't.

After the whole scene with Anko, Naruto, and Orochimaru disguise, Anko begins to hand our waivers and explains more about the Forest of Death. I learned that there are Forty-Four locked gates that leads into the forest, the Tower stands 10km from each gate, and that we will be spending five days in the forest. I received grateful looks from my friends when that information was revealed. Though, I about smacked the grateful look off of Shikamaru's face when he asked can we quit mid-exam before I stopped to realize that maybe it was a good idea to ask that sort of question to make us look weak and scared.

After Anko tells us where to turn in our consent forms in order to get a scroll, everyone regroups with their own team. I drag my teammates over to Team Seven and Team Eight to continue on with the rest of my plan to protect Sasuke.

"Okay, guys," I begin when I had all of their attention. "I think I have an idea that might help us out. The reason they have that curtain up is so nobody else can figure out what team has what scroll, right? Well, I was thinking I use my Byakugan to see which scroll a team has. Whichever team has the opposite scroll from us, we just go after them. Since we are able to pick our gates, we can just pick a gate that is near that select team so we can go and ambush them. This beats wandering around the forest for five days in constant danger."

Kiba gives me a suspicious look. "While this is a good idea, why are you wanting to help us out so much? Shouldn't you be worrying about your own team?"

"I am watching out for my own team," I tell Kiba. "But, I am also watching out for my comrades by hoping we can get through this competition together so we only have to end up competing with one another. It is better to be competing with people whose skills you are familiar with verus complete strangers."

Kiba gives me a surprised look. "That… that actually makes sense." He sticks his nose up in the air. "Doesn't mean that I'm going to let my guard down around you guys just because we are deciding to help each other out."

"I didn't expect you to," I reply. "Also, I think we should find gates that are close to each other so we can regroup and maybe help outnumber other teams and make sure we get to the Tower swiftly and safely."

Kiba shakes his head. "No, no, no! That is where I draw the line. I am going through these Exams with my team and my team only. I don't need y'alls help!"

Shit, I didn't expect anybody to refuse this offer.

"But-" I begin to say.

Kiba crosses his arms and looks away. "No, buts. Right, Akamaru?" The dog barks in agreement.

Ugh, stubborn mutts.

"Erm," Naruto mumbles and I draw my attention towards him. "I kind of agree with Kiba, Hinata-chan. I want to get through these Exams on my own accord."

"Yeah! I don't want to spend a potential five days with Billboard Brow," Ino remarks.

"I can say the same about you, Ino-pig!" Sakura shoots back at the blonde.

Choji, Shino, and Shikamaru keep their opinion to themselves and Sasuke steps forward to give his. "I also would like to get through these Exams without any assistance from other teams."

I lower my eyes. Well, there goes my chance to save Sasuke if nobody agrees to my plan.

"But, I will just for you," Sasuke finishes and I feel my heart jump. Everyone gasps in surprise, but he ignores them. "Every time you have had a plan, it has always worked through. I trust you."

Sasuke, out of everyone here, agrees with me? I would've thought he would be the first person to say no because of his pride and stubbornness. Though, his one opinion alone isn't going to matter. It is two against seven right now.

"Well, if Sasuke-kun thinks it is a good plan then count me in!" Ino shouts as Naruto gives her a crazy look.

"So am I!" Sakura shouts as well.

Wow, thanks for your support Sakura. Appreciate it.

Shikamaru sighes. "You two are so troublesome."

Naruto gives Sasuke a strange look. "Teme, are you sure? I didn't expect you to-"

Sasuke nods. "Yeah."

Naruto's face brightens up and he smiles in determination. "Well, while I don't like it I will go along with your plan, Hinata-chan. I trust you as well!"

I grin as I grow happy again. The plan is back on!

However… "Well, you guys can count us out still!" Kiba says, standing his ground. "Our team can get through this without any help. In fact, I bet we can beat all six of you to the Tower!"

"Kiba, while you may think-" Shino begins, but nobody hears him as Kiba drags him and Choji away to receive there scroll.

We all just stare at them.

"I guess Kiba doesn't want to know which team will have a scroll opposite from his," I say, mostly to myself.

The next few minutes is spent using my Byakugan to memorize every team that went through to receive their scroll. We ended up being one of the last groups to go through. Our team received an Earth Scroll while Naruto's team received a Heaven Scroll. As I go through my mind to remember which team received what scroll, I remember a team from Amegakure with an Earth scroll and the Oto Shinobi having a Heaven scroll. Since we ht might end up crossing paths with them anyways, I think Team Seven should end up focusing on them to get their scroll. I relay this information back to Naruto, Sasuke, and Ino and they didn't seem to mind, especially Naruto since he wants to teach them a lesson for what they did to Kabuto. If only he knew the real Kabuto. From my Shadow Clones that I sent out to hide and spy, I found out that the Oto trio are planning to go to Gate 20 while the Ame Shinobi plan on going to Gate 32, which is not as close as I would like for them to be. However, while I still want to end up going after these teams, we need to focus on Orochimaru first since he is going to come after us no matter where we are. I ended up telling a small lie to everyone that we should pick Gates 7 and 8 since they are "the closest to our targets."

When we approach our respective gates, we wait for permission to enter. The Chunin in front of unlocks our gate and we get ready to enter.

"Alright you maggots!" we are somehow able to hear Anko yell. "The Second Part of the Chunin Exams begins now!"

Our gate opens up and we rush forward to enter the Forest of Death.

 **Author's note: What is Hinata's plan to face Orochimaru? Can she even prevent the snake from giving Sasuke the Curse Mark despite knowing his moves and having a total of six people facing him? The next chapter will give all the answers!**


	19. Chapter 19: Chunin Exams Arc: Part 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or I wouldn't be a broke college student/waitress.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Chunin Exam Arc: Part Two**

 **Chapter nineteen**

The Forest of Death may sound like a cliche name, but it is very fitting for this place. This forest is just one big ol' death trap if you do not stay alert or watch your step. Without even activating my Byakugan, I can already sense the dangerous lurking animals and the murderous Shinobi. I am thankful to even have my visual powers at the moment because the trees are so tall and close together that it is blocking out most of the sunlight, making it seem like it is the middle of the night instead of the afternoon. The perfect setting for a Shinobi on the hunt.

But, now is not the time to be scaring myself. Right now, we have to go meet up with Team Seven and survive Orochimaru. Though, it would be very polite of the snake man if he decided to not target us. There some other nice, strong Genin around for you to mark.

I awaken my Byakugan to make sure we are still going on the right path. I see that we are when I make out three familiar chakra figures up head. Good, now let's hurry and get to them before the real terror starts.

"Um, Hinata?" I hear Shikamaru say as we sneak along the forest ground. Shikamaru had suggested that we do this since most Shinobi and animals are most likely going to be hiding and traveling through the treetops.

"Yes?"

"I don't want to come across as questioning your intentions, but is it really in our best interest to go through this Exam with Naruto's team?" my teammate asks. "I understand your reasoning to do so, and they mostly make sense to me, but you heard what Asuma said about them yesterday. They are loud, obnoxious, and they seem to attract all sorts of unwanted attention and trouble. He isn't exactly wrong about all that, you know?"

"I doubt Sasuke-kun will, but Ino and Naruto might make a scene or two and get us caught," Sakura adds in.

I nod, letting them know that I understand their concerns. "I know good as well that we can possibly get through this Exam by ambushing our targeted team, stealing their scroll, and sneaking our way to the Tower in a day or two tops. This Exam is made for teams like ours and Kiba's. However, I am thinking long term just and believe it is better to surround ourselves with opponents that we can easily read and are already aware of what abilities they possess over total strangers. When it comes to Naruto, I can assure you that I can make him keep quite and control his outbursts, even if he doesn't want me to. As for Ino, I think she will be fine as long as you, Sakura, do not get in an argument with her. She may be loud and annoying, but she isn't stupid."

Sakura blushes at my calling her out. "I will try to bite my tongue around that pig."

"However, I do not want to seem like I am controlling you guys and making you go along with this plan," I continue. "If you don't think it is a good idea, you can object and we can go through this Exam alone."

I am only saying this because I just don't want to come across as assertive or demanding. I am just giving the impression that they are the ones that are being giving the choice on whether they want to do this or not so they feel like they are having a say in things. I know that they know that this is a pretty good idea in order to better our chances at becoming Chunin, without finding out the real reasoning, so they are not going to go against me. By doing this, I can continue building their trust at being able to rely on me as their leader, excluding Asuma, so they can trust my future plans in certain circumstances without fail since I know, mostly, what the future entails. It will just make things more easier on me if I don't have somebody questioning my orders without spilling the truth and exposing myself.

As expected, neither of them objects to my idea and we continue our short journey towards Team Seven. Suddenly, an unknown trio of Shinobi enter my field of vision, traveling in our direction. I instantly stop dead in my tracks and flung my hand out to stop Sakura and Shikamaru. They immediately halt and their faces grow alarm.

"What's wrong?" Sakura whispers as she goes on guard.

I concentrate on the incoming Shinobi. "It appears to be a trio of Ame Shinobi, about sixteen or seventeen years of age. Two are wearing hats while the other is wearing bandages around his forehead and has a scar where his right eyes used to be. They seem to have some sort of umbrellas as a weapon, maybe? Either way we need to hide. This isn't the same Amegakure squad that I said we needed to target, so there is no need to fight them. They have the same scroll as we do."

I am glad that Shikamaru and Sakura does not protest and we emerge ourselves in a thick bush. If this timeline was totally canon and I ended up on Team Eight, Kiba would have wanted to fight these guys to dwindle don the competition even if they didn't have the scroll he needed or they already obtained one.

About thirty seconds later, the Ame Shinobi come into view and stand in a small group as we suck in our breaths and remain as still and quiet as a statue.

"Are you sure you sensed some of those rookies here?" the guy with a pair of goggles covering his eyes asks.

The one eyed guy spits. He must be their leader. "Of course I'm sure! They must have sensed us back and are hiding around here somewhere."

Crap! Don't look around! Just go away! Shoo! Shoo!

Before the Ame squad even get the chance to search their surroundings, multiple screams were heard overhead. I cover my ears. Those weren't painful screams; those were screams of pure terror. I notice the Ame Shinobi tense up and they give each other a worried look.

"Do… do you think those rookies ran off and got themselves stuck in a trap or something?" the short and chubby Ame Shinobi ask towards his leader.

The leader shrugs nonchalantly, but I can tell that he is hesitant to pursue an investigation. "If so, I don't want any part of it. Let's just go. There is plenty of other rookies for us to find."

The leader's teammates nod in agreement and the squad leaps away as we stay hidden until they left my field of vision.

"Man, that was a close one," Shikamaru sighes as we crawl out from the bush. "The Exam just started and it is already becoming a drag."

"Is it bad to say that I am a little glad that those screams happened to keep them distracted?" I ask as I brush myself off.

Sakura shudders. "No, but they were so close. I wonder what happened?"

I shake my head. "I don't. We need to keep moving before we do find out. Those screams and Ame Shinobi just proved that there could be anyone and anything at any corner."

"I-I'm starting to like your idea more and more now," Sakura admits. "I will feel better once we are with Ino's team so we can outnumber potential enemies."

I am about to reply when a gust of wind carrying debris interrupted me. My short hair flaps around me as I raise up my arms to shield my face from being scratched.

"What's going on now?!" Shikamaru shouts over the wind.

I focus my Byakugan and notice the wind is coming from an attack towards Team Seven's direction. Is the fight starting already?! We were suppose to meet up with them before it happened!

The wind dies down as I answer him back. "We need to get going. Now! Naruto, Sasuke, and Ino are in trouble!"

I sprint off towards the direction of the battle as fear and dread start to overcome me, but I attempt to repress it. Okay, so Orochimaru seem to have came earlier than I planned. But, we can still go through with it and jump in to protect Sasuke. All they seem to be doing right now is talking, which seems to be the usual in this universe before a fight starts. We have a couple of minutes to spare if we just hurry and-

"Hinata! Wait up!" Shikamaru hollers from behind me, disrupting my thoughts.

"What?" I snap back, not slowing down. Telling me me to wait up. He's crazy! We are in a rush!

"You know better to go into a situation head first without a plan!" Shikamaru reminds me.

As he says that, I slow my pace and allow them to catch up. He's right. I know about my plan, but I haven't told them about it yet. I'm pulling a Naruto and acting before I think. I know better than this.

"You're right," I tell him as they catch up to me. "I am sorry. I just got caught up in the moment. It is just the person they are up against appears to be stronger than your average Genin."

Shikamaru raises an eyebrow. "Person? Not people? Where is the rest of this enemies team?"

"I really don't know," I say. "I assume they split up during the attack. He is all alone at the moment and I do not see them nearby, but we need to keep our guard up still for all outcomes."

I know that Orochimaru's "teammates" does not participate in the battle, but Shikamaru and Sakura do not know that so it is best to ease their mind and let them know that they are not nearby. To be honest, I do not even remember what ends up happening to them.

"Who is "he" exactly?" Shikamaru questions.

Ugh, this would be so much easier if everyone just possessed the power of the Byakugan.

"It is the creepy Kusa Shinobi with the long tounge," I explain. "You know, the one who seems bloodthirsty and ready to kill and who I just so happened to ask Kabuto about the day before?"

Sakura's body begins to slightly quiver in fear. "H-him?"

"Yes, but now is not the time to be frightened. As you mentioned before, there is going to be six of us and only one of him. While we don't know his powers, I am pretty sure we can at least be able to escape if needed."

"I am just wondering why he is alone in the first place," Shikamaru mumbles, mostly to himself. "We need to proceed the battle the way we usually do: with caution and with stealth."

"We can also rely on Naruto's Shadow Clones to bombard the guy if needed since we know now he has a pretty strong Wind Style Jutsu in his arsenal," I tell them. "Actually, we can…" I stop speaking briefly and widen my eyes. "The guy just swallowed his own scroll."

Orochimaru just took that thick ass scroll and swallowed it in one gulp. Why am I even surprised? Freak.

Sakura and Shikamaru mimics and widens their own eyes in shock. "He did what?!" Sakura exclaims.

"Man, are you sure you just don't want to let Naruto and them handle this?" Shikamaru complains as he rubs his face.

"I would like to just avoid this guy altogether, but we cannot just leave them alone with him," I reply. "Now, here's a little something that I have just came up with…"

I quickly tell them my plan before they agreed that it is the best one we got at the moment and picked up the speed. As we swiftly approach the battlefield, we mask our chakras so we would not get caught even though I do not think that will go unnoticed by Orochimaru. Thought, maybe it will if he is putting all of his focus on Sasuke and Ino while Naruto handles the Sannin's snake Summoning. Speaking of Naruto, I wonder if he is chilling in the stomach of the snake just yet?

When everyone comes into view, we hide behind a bush and watch as Orochimaru seems to put Ino and Sasuke under a genjutsu while glaring at them with such killing intent. The intent radiates over towards us, sending chills down my spine and I feel my own body begin to tremble. I have not even seen Orochimaru's true form yet and already I know he is much more terrible and terrifying in person. The genjutsu or the killing intent, or both, must have been too much for them because Ino is paralyzed with fear as Sasuke vomits on the ground and collapsed onto his bottom, breathing heavily and looking white as a sheet. Sakura covers her mouth to surpass a scream as she blinks away tears from her eyes at sight of her rival and crush. Shikamaru doesn't react, but I can tell by the look on his face that this whole situation is getting to him as well.

My eyes snap over to Orochimaru as he chuckles playfully as if someone just told him a good joke. "Can't move already?" Sasuke struggles to command his body to move as he controls his hand to slowly inch their own to his weapon's pouch. He flicks up the pouch and pulls out a kunai. He manages to get himself to stand, but that is all he able to do since his body is still responding to fear over his own needs. Sasuke raises the kunai and stares down his opponent. "Hmm? What do you intend to do with that?"

Sasuke tries to take a step forward, but his body is fully paralyzed. I can see the look of conflict on his face as he grits his teeth and widens his eyes. Orochimaru smirks as he pulls out two of his own kunai and begins to walk towards Sasuke. I feel my body tense up and Sakura draws in her breath.

"Don't worry," Orochimaru says as he licks his lips. "I'll end this in a second. You won't even have time to feel the pain." He frowns in mock disappointment as he raises his kunai. "It is too bad though. I really wanted you to entertain me more."

Before I can react, Orochimaru quickly flings the two kunai towards Sasuke. Sakura cries out next to me and I see Orochimaru's eyes flicker over to our hiding spot, giving us away. But, that does not matter right now. As we all jump out of the bushes, Sasuke stabs his leg with his kunai, overriding the fear with pain so he can take control of his body again. His grow blood red as he picks up Ino bridal-style and quickly flees by leaping up a tree. Orochimaru analyzes what Sasuke just did before turning his back on us.

"I suggest you three continue on your merry way if you know what is best for you," he warns. "I have already forgiven you one time before." I know he's speaking to me about asking Kabuto about him yesterday.

Orochimaru takes off and the three of us exchange glances before ignoring Orochimaru's threats and begin to follow him. With my visual powers, I watch as Orochimaru summons a large brown snake, allow it to swallow him up whole, and slithers towards Sasuke and Ino's spot.

"Oh, just a heads up, the enemy can summon snakes," I inform my teammates.

Shikamaru rolls his eyes. "Great, he can summon snakes, too? That makes things so much easier on us."

Sakura remains quiet as we make our way up the trees.

We finish climbing up the trees and reach the scene in time to see Sasuke yelling something at the snake and hurling a handful of shuriken at it. Ino just watches in horror as the snake crashes into a tree and begins to bleed all over the place. A cracking sound is heard as the snake's skin begins to break and Orochimaru's disguised body starts to rise out of it in an eerie way.

No! Stop! Freak! Stop! So disgusting!

He gives us a sinister stare and grins. "You don't let your guard down for even a second. Prey need to strain their minds all the time, and run around in the presence of a predator ," he almost sings ominously, licking his lips with that long ass tongue of his.

Then, he starts to flick his slowly tongue at us and his body lurches forward. The bottom half of Orochimaru sits in place while his upper half extends out and coils around trees and branches, making his way towards Sasuke. Widen my eyes, I shoot a glance towards my best friend to see if he would attack or get out of the way, but he is overtaken by fear. Instead, he gives a shout in horror as his body begins to quiver and he stumbles backwards.

Was Sasuke this frightened in the anime/manga? I cannot remember, but all I know is this is not like him and if he is not going to move out of the way then I am going to make him move.

I pull out a handful of shuriken to hurl towards Orochimaru when a group of kunai knives does the job for me. They land right in front of the slithering man and he averts his eyes upwards to the new incomer. We follow his lead and I smile.

Finally, we can get this show on the road.

"Sorry, Sasuke!" Naruto shouts from above as he stands on top of a branch with his arms crossed and with a smirk on his face, attempting to appear like a hero and a badass. "The password is… I don't remember!"

"Naruto!" Ino cries out in relief.

Sasuke desperately throws his hand aside. "Naruto! You may be coming here to show off while you help us out, but don't get involved! He's way above our level! Run!" He flickers his gaze over to me and my team. "You guys, too! Get outta here!"

Sakura clenches her fists in false bravery. "Run so we can leave you all alone to fight this guy? We would never do that, Sasuke-kun!"

Not wanting to be outdone by her rival, despite the situation we are in, Ino raises her own fists up. "Yeah! We're your comrades! You just said so yourself, this guy is too strong. You are not fighting him alone!"

Not wanting to get involved in the conversation and let this brief moment of Orochimaru being distracted go to waste, I take action. I quickly hold out to fingers to signal to Sakura and Shikamaru that the plan is in motion. They notice the signal, nod, and fan out. As they do so, I make a cross sign with my hands and two Shadow Clones appear next to me. One clone rushes over in between the space of Sasuke and Ino to guard them while my other clone leaps up towards Naruto to tell him about his role in my plan.

While my clones do their part, Sakura creates two illusionary clones and sends them after Orochimaru. They charge after him as he starts to unwrap his body around the tree to react. The first clone jumps in the air and bursts into an explosion of cherry blossoms, As Orochimaru just begins to notice the falling petals, the second clone sneaks in with explosive tags attached to her and combusts to a real explosion. Orochimaru hops back and shields his face as the smoke mixes in with the cherry blossoms to impair his vision. Shikamaru takes the opportunity to extend out his shadow and maneuver it over towards Orochimaru to attempt to take control over his body.

I say attempt because I already know that we won't even get close to him with the shadow. This is just all one big distraction from the main event.

As expected, Orochimaru shoots out of the smoke to avoid Shikamaru's shadow as my teammate continues to chase after the snakeman with it towards the real destination: Naruto. I see my Shadow Clone nod towards him and dissipates as Naruto uses his _Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu_ to start bombarding Orochimaru. Shikamaru recoils his shadow at the last second as Orochimaru turns around just in time to see the waves of Narutos falling down after him. Before he could get out of the way, the clones begin to land on him, one after the other, like raindrops and start pulverizing him.

The goal is to keep Orochimaru restricted with the clones while we get away from him and alert an official to take care of him for us. How am I going to do that? Well, wait around to see!

As Naruto and his clones continue to attack Orochimaru, I gather up my teammates and Ino and we huddle around Sasuke.

"Sasuke," I say softly. He doesn't look at me as he grits his teeth, body still quivering. "I know that you are scared, but we all are right now. However, we cannot just stand around. We need to fight and flight if we want to make it out of here alive."

Sasuke remains silent as he looks past me and focus his attention on the battle going on behind me. I hear Ino suddenly gasp and call out for Naruto as I see with my Byakugan that Orochimaru has summoned another snake and is starting to wipe out most of the clones. But, Ino is calling out Naruto's name because the snake actually spins around and smacks Naruto with its tail, sending him crashing into a tree. I curl my lips inward and narrow my eyes towards Sasuke with anger. I was really relying on him to help out with my plan, since he is the strongest out of the six of us, with his Sharingan and shuriken and fire jutsus. I know he doesn't know this, but I am trying to save his life and future! My whole life since I have been reborn has been about making sure the people around me is always safe and I am always thinking ahead to see how I can alter the future for the better! Naruto is over there getting pummeled by Orochimaru and his snake and I am not going to allow Sasuke to ruin things, and his life, just because he is terrified!

Before I can stop myself, I raise my hand and slap Sasuke across the face. I hear Sakura and Ino gasp behind me, but I shoot them a glare, daring them to say something. I focus my attention back on Sasuke as he blinks in reaction from the slap and looks at me dead in the eyes.

"Snap out of it, Sasuke!" I demand. "I know that you pick on Naruto sometimes and undermine his skills! He may be goofy and a little loud at times, but at least he isn't a coward! He's doing much more than you at the moment!" Sasuke slightly widens his eyes as I sigh and change my expression from anger to understanding and determination. "Like I just told you, I know that you are scared. You seem to have seen something in this guy that we haven't just yet. But, we are all afraid. However, we need to fight in order to get ourselves out of this situation."

Sasuke looks at me for a second and then appears to be opening his mouth to say something, but my instincts tells me to jump out of the way and I do so as the rest of my friends follow my lead. The snake's tail smacks through the branch we were just standing on and wipes its tail towards us again. We leap out of the way once more, but I feel myself suddenly flying backwards as a huge gust of wind shoots through the forest, causing us to scatter everywhere. I perform a mid-air backflip and land not so gracefully on a branch. My feet seem to slip as I land and I being to fall off the branch, but someone grabs my hand. I look up to thank my savior and joy overwhelms me as I see Sasuke standing there with his Sharingan activated, looking ready to fight.

"You alright?" he asks me. I am only able to nod as he lifts me back up and I grab my chest to feel my pounding heart. "Where are the others? Are they okay?"

I expand my vision to find Sakura and Ino standing at two separate trees brushing themselves off. They seem fine. I look over and notice Shikamaru is laying horizontally on a branch, unconscious. His head seems to be bleeding, notifying to me that he somehow hit his head during Orochimaru's wind attack. Naruto is hiding within a thick brush of leaves, catching his breathe. I see that he has a nasty wound jagged across his cheek from the impact of the snake's tail from earlier.

"Everyone seems to be alright for now, except for Shikamaru," I tell Sasuke. "He is unconscious and has a gash on his head so I cannot determine his condition from here."

Sasuke nods. "You gather up the others and go check on him. I will handle this guy."

I gulp. "You can't handle him alone."

Sasuke smirks. "Watch me."

He takes off towards Orochimaru before I can stop him. He's right, though. I need to regroup everybody and check on Shikamaru. Then, I will rejoin the battle with Sasuke. I am not allowing him alone with Orochimaru. I still need to cause a long enough distraction to get us far away enough so I can alert a Chunin Exam proctor.

I go after Sakura and Ino first. "Are you two okay?" I ask once I got the three of us together. They both nod though I notice multiple small wounds, about the size of paper cuts, located all over their body. "Good. I am going to need one of you to perform first aid on Shikamaru while I go fight with Sasuke."

Sakura tenses up. "What happened to Shikamaru?"

I give her a worried look. "I really don't know. He's unconscious at the moment, but his head is bleeding."

I pull the first aid kit out of my backpack and Sakura takes it. "And, you're going to fight that guy with Sasuke-kun?"

I nod. "Yes. I am going to get Naruto-kun to help as well. I don't think you guys are weak or anything to help us, but I have one more plan that will, hopefully, get us away from our enemy. While we fight him, somebody needs to watch and protect Shikamaru and you two fit the job for that!"

For some reason, Sakura is very unsure of her skills as a Shinobi so I think this role will help boost her confidence, plus keep her and Ino safe while we deal with Orochimaru.

"Hey!" Ino says, narrowing her eye and glaring at me. "I'm on Naruto's and Sasuke-kun's team! Shouldn't I be fighting with them while you take care of your teammate?"

I see the anger flicking in her eyes, totally realizing that she is _still_ pissed at me from my comment yesterday. If we survive this, I really need to apologize to her.

"While that would typically be the logical thing to do, it isn't for this situation and I have already explained why," I replied. "You might not care much for me and are only putting up with me because I am best friends with Sasuke and Naruto, but I need you to trust me. If none of us come back to this exact spot in ten minutes, you can intervene and I will step back. Sound like a deal?"

Even if the ten minutes go by and we still haven't gotten away from Orochimaru, I will not go through with this deal. I can always make it up to Ino later, but I just really need her to shut up and butt out right now.

Ino crosses her arms, not appearing convinced, but her words speak otherwise. "Fine, ten minutes. Then, I will come in and show you and Billboard Brow what Team Seven is really made of!"

I nod as Sakura ignores Ino's insulting nickname for her for once and begins to tend to Shikamaru's wound. I hop off before Ino can protest anymore and I went to find Naruto.

"Are you alright?" I ask him, eyeing his wound on his cheek.

He nods, giving me an annoyed look. "Yeah. I'm fine. He just got one in on me, but he won't get so lucky next time!"

"Well, this next time starts immediately because Sasuke is already fighting the enemy," I inform him.

Naruto raises an eyebrow. "He's fighting him, now?" He knocks his fists together. "Great! I thought for a moment that wasn't the real Sasuke since he wasn't fighting or doing anything." He pumps his fist up in the air. "Let's go!"

He charges forward, but I grab his arm and yank him back. "You know better than to go in like that," I scold. "This guy is stronger than us, no matter if we outnumber him. We need a plan."

The word plan seems to be the word of the day since it has been used so much, and since none of my other plans have worked thus far.

"Let's just attack him with my clones like we were before!" Naruto suggests, almost in a whine so he can hurry and get into the battle. "You and Sasuke can just go after the creep while I distract him with my Shadow Clones!"

I just stare at him. "That's… actually what I was about to say."

See, Naruto is bright and calculated when he wants to be.

"Well... okay," Naruto replies back, in a bit of surprise. I guess he isn't used to people agreeing with his ideas. "Let's go, then!"

We hurry over to Orochimaru and Sasuke to see them going at it. Sasuke hurls a handful of kunai at Orochimaru as he easily dodges it. Sasuke does a backflip and pushes off a tree, soaring towards Orochimaru. He comes down with a kick directed towards Orochimaru's head, but he raises his arm up to direct the attack. Sasuke twists his body around in mid-air to land a roundhouse kick onto Orochimaru's side, but he protects his with other arm. Orochimaru contorts his body between Sasuke's legs and raises his fist to give him an uppercut to the gut. The red-eyed boy see through his attack and performs another backflip to get out of the way and to create more distance between the two of them. As he lands, his hands are quickly making handsigns and several balls of fire expels out of his mouth and shoots towards Orochimaru. To the naked eye, it may have seem like the fireballs struck him. However, I see with my Byakugan that he has burrowed through the tree and jumps out right in front of Sasuke, swiping at him. Sasuke leaps back once more and gets into a defensive fighting stance.

As they briefly stare each other down, I nod towards Naruto and we break out of our hiding spot. Naruto creates a hundred clones and aims them towards Orochimaru while I land beside of Sasuke.

"What are you guys doing?" Sasuke growls. "I got this."

I shake my head. "He's holding back, Sasuke. You eyes are just as great as mine. You know just by his movements that he is only toying with you to see what you are capable of."

Sasuke grits his teeth, know that I am speaking the truth. "What's the plan?" he asks, regretfully. He obviously wants to fight this enemy himself.

"Nothing to extravagant," I begin. "Naruto just spams Shadow Clones at him while you and I try our best to weaken or restrain him while he's busy with Naruto."

Sasuke smirks. "I don't know how to weaken him, but I know how to restrain him. Follow my lead!"

Sasuke and I take off towards Orochimaru and Naruto. As planned, Orochimaru seems to be busy being bombarded by Naruto's Shadow Clones, not getting the chance to move from his spot. After Orochimaru deals with one wave of Shadow Clones, another wave of them comes in to attack and rinse and repeat. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Sasuke breakout several layers of wire with shuriken attached to them.

Before I can ask what he plans on doing with those, Sasuke beats me to it. "You go in first. I will handle him second."

I do not question him and I continue to run towards Orochimaru as Sasuke hangs back. I surge chakra into my hands and feel the power begin to radiate outwards to activate my chakra scalpels. Weaving through the raining clones, I send a spurt of chakra to the bottoms of my feet and pushed off the tree, zooming towards Orochimaru. I raise palm to strike his shoulder, but he notices me in the nick of time and grabs my hand. That move seems to be an error on his part as my scalpels start to cut through his hand. He hisses as he drops my arms and hops backwards, nurturing his injured hand. He glares at me as he easily sways from side to side to avoid Naruto's clones.

"Chakra scalpels, huh?" Orochimaru mumbles, mostly to himself. He chuckles softly. "Somebody has excellent chakra control. My my. Aren't we the talented one?"

I don't reply to his mockings as I rush over to attack him some more. I twirl around on my toes and begin to aim towards multiple chakra points, knowing that not even one of my strikes will land. As expected, he dodges all of my attacks and throws his own fist at me. I spin out of the way and focused the chakra contained in my right hand to the center of my palm to exter out a chakra thread. The chakra thread shoots like a sword and I wave it around to keep Orochimaru on his toes. Thanks to my mastery of the _Protective Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms,_ I am able to create a single straight chakra thread without having to complete the whole jutsu. My next goal is to learn how to bend the chakra thread without having to continuously move my hands in a sphere like formation, now is not the time to be thinking about that.

Orochimaru gives a weird look of impressed mixed with amusement as he evades my chakra thread and it goes straight through the tree behind him. Probably thinking about taking me to along with Sasuke because of my Byakugan and excellent chakra control. I mean, I would make a better medic than Kabuto with the right training, not that I'm thinking about taking such an offer or anything. I deactivate the chakra thread and run towards Orochimaru again. What the hell are you doing Sasuke? Naruto and I cannot play decoy for too much longer. As to answer my thoughts, Sasuke appears out of nowhere and slings the shuriken wire behind Orochimaru. Seeing Sasuke finally attacking, Naruto calls back his clones and gets out of the way. I get out of the way also as I watch Sasuke manipulate the shurikens with his wires to get them to the correct trajectory. He wraps the wires around the tree that is right behind of Orochimaru and yanks his wires forward, catching the snakeman in his trap.

"Is this the _Sharingan Controlled Triple Windmill Blades_?" Orochimaru questions as struggles to break free from the wires, but they seem to be to thick for him to even move.

Nobody answers him as Sasuke weaves hand movements that I haven't seen him perform before. " _Fire Style: Dragon Fire Jutsu!"_

A huge blast of fire spreads across the area and travels through the wires towards Orochimaru. As the fire burns through him and burns a large hole through the poor tree, he screams in pain as his body start to melt from the intensity and force of the fire. Knowing this attack alone isn't going to stop him, I beckon Naruto to start spamming clones once more to build a protective wall between us and Orochimaru in case he breaks free from the wires somehow. As all of this is going on, I prepare my SOS message for any Chunin proctor, particularly Anko, to notice. I pull out my wire, a few kunai, and a few explosive tags. I stuck the tags to the kunai and connected the wire to the kunai. When everything is ready, I threw the kunai up in the air one by one to create an SOS message that was taught to us during our Academy days. As each kunai flew into the air, I lift up two fingers to explode the tags.

I hope this attracts somebody.

As I am throwing my SOS flares, the flames from Sasuke's jutsu has died down, leaving a very charred and pissed off Orochimaru. I don't even have to turn around to see that a part of Orochimaru's disguise has melted away, revealing a part of his trueself: a single golden eye with a purple birthmark right in the corner of the eye. He steps forward and easily snaps the wires in half, tossing the aside. With a wave of his hand, he sends out a huge gust of wind to wipe out all of Naruto's clones that were standing guard and then clasp his hands together. Instantly, the three of us are all paralyzed and I drop onto my knees as I through the last kunai into the air, never being able to make it explode.

No… that was my trump card. My SOS cannot be ruined! Please oh please somebody come save us.

"I'm impressed that you can use your Sharingan so well at your age," Orochimaru says to Sasuke, not sounding impressed at all. He glances at me and huffs. "And, I'm impressed on how annoying you have been. Orchestrating this whole plan to stop me, as if you are able to anticipate my attacks. I should've know you would've been a handful when you decided to stick your nose where it doesn't belong."

Ugh, are you still annoyed about that? Get over yourself. Okay, now is not the time to be making imaginary taunts towards Orochimaru. He's basically threatening you right now.

Orochimaru focus his attention back on Sasuke again. "You have truly lived up to your Uchiha name. I want you after all." He flickers his eyes back over towards me. "Just incase you somehow break out of this and have some more tricks up your sleeve…" Before I can even blink, he comes at me with blinding speed, getting only centimeters from my face. My heart skips a beat.

Naruto widens his eyes. "You leave her alone! Get away from her!"

"... I'm going to go ahead and dispose of you," Orochimaru finishes.

He picks me up by the collar of my shirt and tosses me off the branch like a rag doll. I hear Naruto and Sasuke gasp in horror as I fall. I scream as I begin to plummet towards my death, the paralyzing jutsu not wearing off despite me falling. I close my eyes. Is this how I'm really going to die? By getting thrown aside like trash and not even being able to rescue anybody or meet any of my intended goals? I feel my body fall into something solid, but it isn't the ground. I dare to open my eyes and find myself in the arms of Naruto. I open my mouth to give him my thanks, but quickly shut it when I notice his eyes. They are red. The features of his face has also grown more rabid with his whiskers seeming thicker and his teeth has turned into fangs. I guess seeing Orochimaru throw me off the branch surged enough emotion to channel some of the Kyuubi's chakra into his own and was strong enough to break out of Orochimaru's jutsu.

This battle is not going to be pretty a happy ending for Naruto.

Naruto angrily and swiftly leaps from branch to branch as we make our way upwards towards Sasuke and Orochimaru. He drops me on my bottom and sprints towards Orochimaru's direction. I make out just in time to see Orochimaru had extended out his neck to give Sasuke the Curse Mark while paralyzed. However, Naruto stops him in mid-attack by slamming into the snakeman's neck, causing it to grossly bend in half. Naruto raises a claw and slashes through Orochimaru's neck, leaving a deep gash. Orochimaru clenches his teeth as he recoils his neck and gets out of the way as Naruto jumps forward to headbutt him. Allowing Naruto to attack Orochimaru in his blind rage, I rush over to Sasuke to pick him up and flee, but he holds out his hand. I guess Orochimaru broke the hold he had on Sasuke to get away from Naruto.

"We need to get out of here!" I plead.

Sasuke gives me a crazy look. "We can't just leave Naruto behind!"

I grab his hand. "He will be fine! Let's go!"

Sasuke jerks his hand away from me and I narrow my eyes at him towards his reaction. "You can go. I'm staying."

I clench my fists. "You are really wearing down my patience, Sasuke! I thought you trusted me? Trust what I am saying and let's go!"

Sasuke opens his mouth to protest, but Ino suddenly enters the scene with a bewilderingly look. "It has been ten minutes! Why are you two just standing around? Where's Naruto?!"

Naruto and Orochimaru pops back into view as to answer her question and I notice by the look on Orochimaru's face what he is about to do. Before I can stop him, Orochimaru's fingers glows purple as he lifts up Naruto's shirt and slams the fingers into the boy's stomach. " _Five Elements Seal!"_

Naruto's mouth hangs up, but no sound comes out. His red eyes start to waver before they become blue again and he slips into unconscious. As he did me, Orochimaru tosses Naruto aside and I pull out a kunai knife and sling it towards his way. It barely catches a piece of his clothing, but it is enough to save his life as the kunai sticks to the tree and allowing Naruto to suspend in mid-air.

"Naruto!" Ino screams at the top of her lungs, as if trying to wake him up. No response.

I look over at Sasuke, and then at Ino, and then at Naruto, and then at Orochimaru and grit my teeth. This is a bad situation we are in. I came into this feeling a little too confident. I didn't think we would defeat him, but I thought we would have least been able to get away from him. Naruto seemed to have saved Sasuke from receiving the Curse Mark, but Orochimaru has the opportunity now with him knocked out. Sasuke is feeling weak now and has used a lot of his chakra to fight Orochimaru anymore and Ino and I know we are not a match for him. Sakura is taking care of a knocked out Shikamaru, god knowing what condition he is in.

I wonder how much Sasuke is going to protest if I sacrificed myself and tell them to go on. That is what a real Shinobi does, right?

Before I can go along with my spontaneous last resort, I sense a familiar chakra flare heading our way and I almost cry with happiness. Orochimaru seems to have noticed it to because his expressions has changed from victorious to frustration, as if nothing is going right for him today. Good. Sick bastard.

"Hmm, it seems like your little SOS message did work after all," Orochimaru says to me. "For now, I guess my plans are going to have to come to a halt while I face this old friend of mine." He appears conflicted for a second, but then smirks sinisterly, sending chills down my spine. "No, I cannot do that. Maybe another time. Consider yourselves lucky this time around, especially you, girl. I'll be back, Sasuke."

He disappears into the wind, leaving behind a whirlwind of leaves.

I blink in reaction at the sudden exit. What did he mean by especially me? Was the conflicted look he had on his face from thinking about ways to torture or kill me. I shudder. I don't even want to begin to let my mind wander down that road. I shake my head and tried to remain focus.

"We need to get out of here," I order in almost a hushed whisper, afraid if I speak any louder that Orochimaru might come back.

Sasuke and Ino follow my orders without protesting. I go into survival mode as I begin to make my way towards Sakura and Shikamaru. Sasuke grabs Naruto, hurls him over his shoulder, and he and Ino follow me. Sakura sees us and opens her mouth to say something out of concern, but I cut her off by scooping Shikamaru into my arms and continue leaping from tree to tree as I activate my Byakugan. Now is not the time to be talking and asking questions. That can be done later. Right now is the time to hide in a secluded spot, set up traps, and prepare for the Oto Shinobi. If I remember correctly, they were sent out by Orochimaru before so Sasuke can test his new powers on them. Even though Sasuke has received the Curse Mark… yet, I believe that Orochimaru will still have the Oto Shinobi to come after us to defeat us in our weakened states and capture Sasuke. Even if they don't come after us, I still plan on going after them, after we rest up, to go away and eliminate they from the primarily matches.

After what seems like searching forever in eerie silence, I finally found a decent place to hide: a small opening at the base of a tree. It isn't the most perfect spot to hide, but at least it will shelter us from most enemies if we just hide our chakra flares and have Sakura to create a _False Surroundings_ genjutsu around us.

I land on the ground and enter the base of the tree. I gently lay Shikamaru down, being careful to not harm his head. I remove the backpack from his shoulders and rest it under his head as support. Sasuke does the same for Naruto and we all crawl back out of the hole.

I look over at Sakura. "Cast a _False Surroundings_ illusion on this area so we can remain hidden. Ino, you start concealing the entrance to the best of your ability while Sasuke and I are going to be setting up traps."

Sakura gives me a worried look. "Can anybody tell me what happened first of all? Why is Naruto unconscious and do you even want to know how Shikamaru is doing?"

I try my best to give her a reassuring smile, despite the mood I am currently in. "Questions will be answered after everything I have said is done."

With sparing another glance, I walk over to a random spot and begin to set up traps. Sasuke joins me seconds later and starts to help me out. We spend the next twenty or so minutes setting up traps in silence, which I am glad he didn't want to converse with me. My mind is too focused at the moment to be talking to anyone. When we were done, we had set up a number of traps. Some traps will shoot out a barrage of weapons if an enemy trips over a wire. Other traps caused smoke bombs to go off, having the enemy to stumble around in the smog into another trap that will get themselves blown to pieces by explosive tags. We even have a few traps that are very noticeable to the naked eye to deceive enemies from the hidden traps. Even if these traps do not work, at least we will be alerted that someone is present if we somehow fall asleep or if we are off guard. However, I'm not letting my guard down. Two of my comrades are down and one is the target of Orochimaru's. I am not playing around. I'm in the mood to kill.

Sasuke decides to ruin our few minutes of peace and quiet. "Did you know that guy's eye?"

Not expecting him to ask that question, I remain silent for a minute or two. Should I tell him I did or lie and say I didn't? What would lying achieve anyways? "Yes, I saw it. It is as if there was a totally different person hiding underneath that skin."

Sasuke nods. "That guy was able to stretch his body parts out to lengths that I didn't even know were possible and was holding back on us. Do you really think… no that is crazy talk."

I raise an eyebrow, encouraging him to finish his thought process. I like when people filled in the gaps themselves without me having to reveal any of my knowledge. I know one day I may eventually have to, but today is not the day. But, Sasuke only shakes his head and doesn't speak anymore. To be honest, I don't want to talk about Orochimaru either at the moment. I mean, we just got done fighting the guy.

We make our way back to the base and I am pleased to see the entrance covers with a decent lay of sticks, leaves, and branches. Mixed in with Sakura's genjutsu, this place is going to be pretty hard to find if you are not specifically looking for us. We enter the base through the makeshift covering and find Ino and Sakura sitting cross legged and quietly around Shikamaru and Naruto. We decide to join and then and sit around the fainted boys.

After a few minutes of tense silence, I finally break it. "How is Shikamaru?"

Sakura narrows her eyes at me as if she wants to scold me for waiting so long to ask, but answers me instead. "He head wound doesn't seem to have done any major damage. Besides knocking him out, I believe he only has a concussion."

Wanting to make sure she is correct, I quickly examine Shikamaru with my Byakugan and nod. "I see no trauma to the brain. I think he's going to be okay."

"W-what about Naruto?" Ino stammers. I've never seen her care so much about Naruto before. I think he is finally growing on her.

Even though I know the answer, I humor her anyways and scan him over with my Byakugan. I deactivate it and sadly shake my head. "I do not know what that guy did to him, but his chakra seems to be all out of whack. I think he's going to be out cold for awhile."

Ino brings her knees up to her chest and wraps her arms around them. "Great. That's exactly what I wanted to hear."

Silence filled the air once more and it remained that way for the next several hours as everybody seems to be lost in their own thoughts. For me, I am certainly not in touch with reality at the moment as I am going over scenarios in case the Oto Shinobi or Orochimaru makes an appearance. I think we will be able to handle the Oto Shinobi since it will be four against three, well three and half since Sasuke will not at be full power. Hell, it might be more people on our side if Lee shows up followed later by Tenten and Neji. Since the original Team Ten helped out Sakura during her fight, I would if Team Eight will make their own appearance if a fight breaks out. I snort. Probably not. I bet Kiba and his team are already chilling at the Tower since their team specializes in tracking.

Why is Choji on their team again?

As my mind begins to wonder deeper and deeper, I find myself growing drowsy and tired. It is probably around midnight now and Sakura and Ino has already drifted off to sleep. Sasuke is still awake in his own thoughts, but I know he is dying to sleep. Shaking my head and slapping my cheeks to make myself more alert, I point at Sasuke.

"You need to rest," I tell him.

He doesn't budge. "I am fine." However, his body betrays him as his mouth releases out a yawn and he grumbles to himself.

I give him a half smile. "Seriously, go to sleep. You need to restore your chakra reserves. I will stay awake and watch the fort. I promise."

Sasuke hesitates for a second, but gives in when another yawn escapes from his mouth. Setting his backpack on the ground, he curls up in a small ball, and closes his eyes. Feeling like a winner for convince him to go to sleep, I rest my heavy eyelids for one moment to get rid of the feeling. The next time I open them, I am startled at the site I see. I widen my eyes and surpass a shriek as I see a man with bandages wrapped around his face staring dead into my eyes, inches away from my face. Behind him, sunlight is trying to peek in. I feel my heart beginning to beat rapidly as I realize that I have fallen asleep over night and have let my guard down this whole time.

"Hmmm, look who is finally awake," the Oto Shinobi says, grabbing me by the shoulders and yanking me out of my hiding spot.

 **Author's note: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please give me feedback for I have rewritten this chapter three times now and I still don't feel to great about it. This has been the hardest chapter for me to write thus far.**

 **Sasuke didn't get the Curse Mark after all!.. Or will he still get it? Orochimaru always gets what he wants after all. Find out next time!**


	20. Chapter 20: Chunin Exams Arc: Part 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or there would be more fighting than flashbacks in battles.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Chunin Exam Arc: Part Two**

 **Chapter twenty**

The mummified Oto Shinobi grabs me by my shoulders and yanks me out of my hiding spot. I stumble forward, startled, before I realize what is going on and plant my feet firmly into the ground to prevent him from dragging me any further. I instantly activated my chakra scalpels and swipe my right hand towards his face, but he briskly leaps backwards to create some distance from us. He gazes at me blankly with his visible eye and I take the moment to look around at my surroundings to avoid making eye contact. I see the spiky haired Oto guy staring at Sasuke with the hunger to kill as he stands behind his other teammate, waiting for the signal to pronounce. Sasuke is glaring back at him with his teeth clenched and his kunai raised. Behind me, I hear a racket going on. I spin around and see the Oto female Shinobi pulling out Ino and Sakura by the hair.

Without missing a beat, I charge after the girl and hurl a kunai attached to some wire towards her. Thinking I am aiming it to attack her, she raises her arm up to bat it away. Using my fingers, I manipulate the wire slightly off course and direct it to wrap her. I expect her to drop Sakura and Ino, or at least one of the girls, to avoid being caught in my wire, but a sonic boom blasts out of nowhere and blows the kunai and wire away. Without even looking, I already know that attack came from the spiky-haired Oto Shinobi. The Oto female smirks and continues dragging Sakura and Ino across the ground. Ino drags her nails into the ground while Sakura struggles to move, but the girl is overpowering them.

I wonder now is the right time to tell them to take a kunai and slash their hair off? I think they would rather get killed than cut their own long hair because of Sasuke.

Stupid Sasuke.

Speaking of Sasuke, I am assuming his opponent is going to be the spiky-haired boy, mine is going to be Mummy Man, and Sakura and Ino is going to face off with the female.

What are their damn names again?

"Kin, stop playing around with your toys," Sasuke's opponent says to his teammate. "Just kill them already."

I freeze up at that comment, but all Kin does is laugh. "Awh, but then all the fun would be over. I want to teach these lovely ladies that maybe they should have put more time into their training instead of their appearances." She pulls on their hair harder for good measure.

I shift my eyes back over towards Mummy Man. He seems to be the leader of the group so talking to him will make the most sense.

"I am getting the feeling you want more than just our scrolls. What do you guys want?" I question. As I did so, I activated my Byakugan to make myself look intimidating, but I am really just checking out the traps I set. None of them have went off.

Okay, so either these guys are just very skilled Shinobi or Sasuke and I suck at setting up traps.

"We are here to kill you all and capture Sasuke," Mummy Man replies cooly.

"Capture Sasuke-kun?! What do you guys want with him?" Ino shouts from behind me. "Ow! Let go of me!"

"Capture me, huh?" Sasuke repeats. "I bet that guy we fought set you three up for this."

"Look at you, connecting the dots," the bandaged man taunts. "No wonder _he_ wants you. You're so smart."

Sasuke growls and his eyes turn blood red. "Have fun trying to capture me. You guys will be lucky enough to be breathing when I am through with you."

The Mummy Man shrugs off the threat and lazily looks over at his male teammate. "Zaku, you can deal with Sasuke. I will deal with this girl. Our lord was very adamant about killing her for some reason."

I tense up as Zaku grin eerily. "No complaints here, Dosu." Names! I finally know all of their names! It rings a bell now! An inappropriate time to be excited though!

I take a couple of steps back and assess the situation, which I probably wouldn't even be in if I had not fallen asleep. Why in the world did I fall asleep? I closed my eyes to get rid of the heavy feeling. I guess I was more tired than I thought I was. Ugh, I bet Sasuke is so pissed at me right now. He didn't want to go to sleep and I encouraged him since I promised I would stay awake. This is all my fault…

No! You can wallow in self-pity and blame yourself later. Right now, it is survive or die!

I scan my eyes around. It is obvious that we are going to have to fight our own opponents. It is actually better this way so we can help the other person if we defeat our enemy first. I believe Sasuke can handle his own with Zaku, eve not at full strength, but Sakura, Ino, and I might have some difficulty. Sakura and Ino are immobilized at the moment and I do not think my taijutsu is going to match very well with Dosu's sound attacks that he shoots out of his metal arm. I do not think Shadow Clones will help me out in this fight, and I really want to have access to all of my power, and I will quickly tire out if I just keep avoiding his attacks with _Substitution Jutsu_. However, _Substitution Jutsu_ might be my best bet and I might just have to suck it up and use some Shadow Clones. If I can just dodge his attacks and try to get him within range, I can perform my _Eight Trigrams: Thirty Two Palms_ on him and have him restrained.

Ugh, I wish I had the ability to create a plan followed by many other backup plans like Shikamaru.

I take another step back as I stand beside of a hidden trap, Dosu watching me carefully the whole time. He cocks his head to the side. "I hope you really don't take me for an idiot," Dosu says as he points at the hidden trap next to me. "It is very obvious that the ground has been dug up. We noticed that in multiple places. You Konoha Genin appear to be not as great as you think you are."

I grit my teeth. To answer my question earlier, it is just Sasuke and I suck at creating traps. Or maybe is it just me? Dosu lifts up his right arm and rolls up his sleeve, revealing his metal amplifier. "Anything you have planned anyways isn't going to work."

Before I can blink, he rushes towards me and throws a punch. Knowing not to dodge the normal away, I make the correct hand signs and replace my body with a log. The soundwaves that projected itself out of Dosu's melody arm easily cut through the log. Appearing a few feet behind him, I keep my distance from him and got into a defensive stance. If we were in a more wooded area, I would have tried to set up a trap to where I could have binded him with some of my wire and then quickly attack his chakra points. However, we are in a small clearing at the moment so my usual tactics of evading and ambushing isn't going to work... Shit! I use _Substitution_ again as Dosu spins around and shoots out another sonicboom towards me. I position myself slightly further away from him and furrow my eyebrows in determination. I don't have much time to think about plans right now it seems. This guys is fast. I am going to have to improvise and end this quick!

I pull a smoke bomb out of my weapons pouch and throw it on the ground, causing it to burst open. A shroud of black mist begins to cover the small area between Dosu and I as it starts to impair his vision. Before he can blow the smoke away with sound jutsu, I create two Shadow Clones. One Shadow Clone stays hidden within the haze while me and the other clone dashes towards Dosu. The Oto Shinobi sees me and my clone emerge out of the smoke and he arches his visible brow.

"A simple _Clone Jutsu_ isn't going to work on me while you hide behind that smoke," he sneers.

He raises his metal arm up to get rid of my clone, but my Shadow Clone surprises him by leaping ahead of me to strike. He widens his eyes and swiftly evades my clone, but my clone gracefully spins around on her toes and thrusts her palm outward. He raises his arm up and her palm makes contact with his amplifer. He smirks as he releases a soundwave and my Shadow Clone is sent flying from the sudden force. She crashes to the ground and poofs into thin air. Dosu's face drops in confusion, assuming that the clone was the real me, and I would have laughed if this was a more nonthreatening situation. Instead, I activate my chakra scalpels and charge towards him again. Dosu turns around just in time for my palm to greet his cheek, creating a deep gash. Dosu takes a step backward to avoid another strike, but I switch up my methods and drop to the ground to give him a low key. I sweep him off his feet and kick him into the air. My other Shadow Clones takes this opportunity to shoot out of the now dissipating mist to join me in battle as I leap into the air to continue my series of attacks on Dosu.

Observing the brief battle between Sasuke and Lee a couple of days ago is really paying off since I learned that an enemy can be momentarily immobilized in mid-air since there body has to quickly adjust itself. However, unlike Lee, I'm not used to fighting my opponents in the air…

I jump slightly above Dosu and slam both of my palms into his stomach.

… so let's get back to the ground!

Dosu rams into the ground like a falling meteor and I hear him gasp for air. As I drop back to the earth, my Shadow Clone meets up with me and stands by my side. We watch Dosu struggle to get up before we exchange glances, nod, and get into our stances to perform the _Eight Trigrams: Thirty-Two Palms_ together.

Actually, would that mean we are about to perform the _Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms_.

No… no no. Don't get ahead of yourself. Just come up with a cool name for this attack instead!

"Um… _Clone Eight Trigrams…_ No! _Twin Eight Trigrams: Thirty-Two_ …" I begin.

However, Dosu rudely cuts me off with a roar. "I have had enough of this nonsense! _Resonating Echo Drill_!"

As he is saying this, my Shadow Clone has already jumped forward to attack him as I realize what he is doing and weave a handsign to perform the _Substitution Jutsu._ My clone lands two strikes on his shoulder, but is struck at the exact same time by the largest sound wave that Dosu has produced yet during this battle. My Shadow Clones instantly disappears and the large waves head towards me. By this point, I have finished creating the hand signs and am already switching my body with a log. I land across the clearing and am suddenly overwhelmed by the feeling of nausea. I drop to my knees as my body begins to feel wobbly and my ears starting beat like a bass drum.

This just has to be phantom pains I am experiencing right now because of my Shadow Clone. The attack didn't hit me so this should go away in a few seconds.

But, nothing goes away.

A burning sensation travels up my throw and I open my mouth to vomit. My body is shivering all over at this point and my ears feeling like fireworks are going off inside of them. I try to get back onto my feet, but I collapse to my knees again.

I guess… I guess I hit the aftermath of the attack... or something. I should not be randomly feeling like this.

God, this feels like a really painful hangover.

Weakly, I cast my eyes over to Dosu and see him struggling to stand himself from my most recent attack on him. He tries to move his left shoulder, but I can tell with my vision, even if it is wavering slightly, that those chakra points has been blocked by my Shadow Clone before poofing away. He's going to have to put in extra strength if he wants to use that arm to fight with. Not like he has to anyways since he keeps attacking with his metal gauntlet. If he hits me with another soundwave, I'm finished! There has to be something I can… wait a minute. Is he near…? I squint. He is!

A small bud of hope blooms inside of me.

I have a last resort idea.

Clenching my teeth, I muster all my strength and heave my body upwards. I topple around a little before somewhat regaining my balance and steamroll towards him, ignoring the pounding eardrums and urges to puke again. Dosu notices me coming after him and narrows his eye.

"You are very persistent," he mumbles. "It is starting to get annoying!"

Assuming he is not wanting to waste anymore chakra on me, he hurls a mixture of kunais and shuriken at me. I begin to weave the handsigns for the _Substitution Jutsu_ , but stop halfway when I see his eyes dart around to see where I will be coming from next. Crossing my arms in front of me, I allow the weapons to hit me. As they pierce into me, I wince in pain as blood slowly leak down from the wounds, but I bite my tongue from making any noise and continue on with my plan. I surge an ounce of chakra into my feet and sprint towards him, now focusing a majority of my chakra into my right palm for an all-or-nothing strike! At the last second, Dosu spots my shadow but it is too late.

" _Gentle Fist_!" I shout.

I slam my palm into his chest. As my palm collides into his chest, many things happen at this moment. All at the same time, I see with my Byakugan Dosu's heart contract and begin to pump abnormally fast, the surrounding chakra points being blocked, and the signs of a him potentially going under cardiac arrest all the while Dosu gets sent flying backwards from the force of my _Gentle Fist_. Dosu lands just a few feet away from the spot that I want him at and he clenches his chest as he arches his back in pain.

Damn! That isn't where I wanted him to land.

"You… you," Dosu stammers as he starts to cough of blood. "You… bitch!"

I frown. I hate being called that.

I guess that spot he is at will have to do.

I lift up two fingers and the ground beneath Dosu explodes from the trap I just activated. The eruption shoots upwards as the force of it surges outwards, knocking me off feet. I tumble backwards and land weird on my dominant side. Pain instantly stings through my right wrist and I grab it to examine it. It does not appear broken, but it is definitely sprained. Great. I guess I was closer to the trap than I thought I was or I set too many paper bombs last night.

Son of a bitch.

A chilling scream of pain feels the air and I glance over towards Dosu's direction. Through the smoke, I see Dosu lying on the ground with his right arm missing. Blood is pouring out of the now mangled stump and he is grabbing his chest with his left hand as he coughs up more blood. I blink as I just stare at him, not feeling any sort of guilt or remorse at what I just did to him.

He deserved it. He was trying to kill me and my friends.

But… did I really have to go and blow up a limb of his?

He's lucky that I only blew up his melody arm! My main goal was to blow his whole body up to pieces.

I shook my head to get rid of this crazy talk. Now isn't the time for that. I need to get over their and "question" him before he possibly dies. Even though I know what is going on, maybe he can tell me some useful information that I do not know about.

I slowly get up once more and cringe in pain. Ugh, my body is sore! I hobble over towards him, bend down next to Dosu, and pull out a kunai to place on his neck. Even though I am pretty sure he doesn't have any fight in him left, he is still one of Orochimaru's minions and they can be very tricky. I scan over Dosu's body with my Byakugan before starting my Q&A session with him.

"You have about five minutes before you go under cardiac arrest," I inform him in a low voice. "I suggest you just comply with me and answer any question I ask of you."

Despite the predicament he is in, Dosu has the nerve to laugh in my face. "Heh! Why… why should I-I do that?"

"I'm the only person who can give you the proper medical treatment if you do," I lied. "I can easily undo my attack just as quick as I hit you with it."

"I don't need your assistance!" Dosu snaps and then coughs loudly. I pull my head back so he doesn't spatters blood on my face. "Besides… I-I failed my mission. I don't deserve to live anymore. I am of no use anymore."

I resist the urge to roll my eyes at his melodramatic comments. "You were never of no use to him."

"What are you-"

"You know who I am talking about," I say, lowering my voice to a whisper now so no one can hear me. "I'm talking about your Lord Orochimaru." Dosu's eye widens in surprise and is about to say something, but I continue. "I don't know if you know this or not, but he confronted us yesterday. He obviously toyed with us, seeming to have no attention to kill us, but more to see what Sasuke is made of. As if to test his powers. And then, strangely, he tried to bite Sasuke's neck."

I stop talking to let him process what I had just said to see if he will admit to anything. He doesn't say anything for a few seconds, but I can tell by the conflicted look on his face that he is thinking had about something. "He was trying to give him _that_?" Dosu mumbles to himself. "Why would he do that when he ordered us to capture Sasuke ourselves?"

I shrug and answer his question anyways. "It seems like your lord was trying to brand him. I'm not an expert on the subject, though I have some experience and knowledge of it, but I think he was trying to give him some sort of Cursed Mark."

In the anime/manga, when he learned that Sasuke had received the Cursed Mark from Orochimaru he vowed to ruined the snakeman's plans and tried to betray him. Right now, I am hoping that enough betrayal will set into Dosu so he can possibly give me some dirty secrets about Orochimaru or maybe even where some of his lairs are. It is a long shot, but such information can possibly change the course of things for the better.

But, my hopes flicker away when Dosu shakes his head and strains himself to speak louder. "I don't know how you got all of that from just one fight, but I'm not telling you anything! Even if Lord Orochimaru was just using us to test out that brat's strength, you are still just the bitch who just put me in this condition! I don't owe you any answers!"

My eyebrow twitches at the insult. This isn't going the way I wanted it to go. I need to shut him up before he starts blabbing what I just said to him outloud.

I bring the kunai closer to his neck and hesitate.

Is it wrong of me for wanting to kill him without batting an eye? Without feeling bad about it at all? Not even just a little?

One part of me is feeling like this while the other part of me is telling me that I have every right to do what I am about to do. It isn't like I get a thrill when I kill someone. I didn't technically kill Hidan, but any other normal person would've died if I sliced their head off. And, I only did that because my life and the people that I cared about lives were in danger. Just like now.

I grip the kunai together.

This is just one of the jobs of being a Shinobi. Sometimes, I am going to have to kill others. Only enemies, though! Dosu is the bad guy, not me so I have a good enough reason. Plus, he's going to die anyways from either blood loss or cardiac arrest. At least I'm sparing him from a painful death.

Dosu senses my conflicted demeanor and smirks from underneath his bandages. "Thinking over if you should just kill me or not, huh? Konoha Shinobi are so emotionally weak. You should be able to do this without a second glance!"

He stares deep into my eyes with a strange look, almost a pleading one. Does he want me to end his life? Heck, I would if I were in his situation. Maybe I should grant his final unspoken wish….

Before I can change my mind, I dig my kunai into the side of his neck and quickly slit Dosu's throat. I roll his body away from and watch as blood begins to gush out like a small waterfall. The Oto Shinobi widens his eye for a moment before slipping into unconscious. Panting heavily now, I drop my kunai and collapse onto my bottom. I just stare at the now dead teen as I run a hand through my hair.

The first time that I "killed" someone, I wanted to freak out and vomit. This time, I feel nothing. Why do I feel so emotionless right now? I did want to repress the freaked out feelings the first time around so I can stay focused on the mission. I guess my mind did what I wanted for it to do and created some kind of emotional barrier to protect me. Though, I feel like this happened way too fast. This is only my second kill. Should I feel this "used" to it already? Is it because I have an adult mind and have already mentally prepared myself for situations like these because of my knowledge of the future?

I shake my head. I can wonder about these things later. I need to check on the others right now. At least I feel nothing over this whole thing. Better than getting a thrill or enjoying slitting his throat. Now, that would really worry me.

I turn around to see if I need to join in with helping anybody in their battles and stop. Over to my right, I can see a fallen Kin and Sakura standing beside of her with a kunai in her hand, as if to stand guard over her in case she gets up. Kin's body has some burn makes and her eyes are freakishly wide open and she has a look of pure terror resting on her face as her mouth hangs slightly open, causing a little bit of drool to escape. On Sakura's other side, Ino is propped up against a tree with her eyes closed. Did Ino use her _Mind Transfer Jutsu_ on someone? And, why the hell does Kin look like that? Did Sakura do something to her? I study my teammate even harder. Her hair is still long and she doesn't seem beat up or anything. Ino's hair is still long as well and looks perfectly fine also.

I have to hear what happened.

I let my eyes scan over towards my left and notice Sasuke standing really close to Zaku as he holds a thick layer of wire. They seem to be conversing about something. As they talk, I realize with my visual powers that Zaku looks pretty beaten up while Sasuke only has a few bruises on his body. In fact, both of Zaku's hands appear to be broken! How in the world is that boy just standing their causally alongside Sasuke? He should be roaring in pain and acting pissed! His teammate just got killed and, I am assuming, Sasuke just broke his hands!

Feeling confused, I am about to make my way over towards Sasuke, to see if he needs any assistance, when Zaku presses his hands together and says loudly, " _Mind Transfer Jutsu…_ Release!"

Zaku's body falls to the ground and Sasuke takes the opportunity to tightly restrain the Oto Shinobi before he wakes up. After doing so, he drags Zaku closer to where Sakura and Ino standing and tossed him to the ground. At that same moment, Ino body stirs and her eyes flutter open.

Okay… I am obviously out of the loop. What happened?

I carefully hobble over towards my friend. I could have walked faster, but my ears are still killing me and I don't want to trigger anymore more nausea. When they sense me coming, my friends all look over at my direction and I playfully wave with my injured hand, forgetting it is sprained. Feeling like an idiot, I clench my teeth through the pain as I hold onto my wrist to nurture it.

"Okay, why am I the only one that looks like crap?" I ask as I join the group, attempting to break the tension.

Sakura opens her mouth to respond to me, but Ino beats her to speaking first. "W-was it really necessary for you to kill him?"

I give her a puzzled look. Why is she asking me that? "Oh, don't worry. I made sure to try to get any information out of him before I did." She's asking me because she is worried about that, right?

Wrong. "No… I just mean in general," she says to me and I widen my eyes. She seems like she wants to say more, but her voice trails off as she lowers her eyes.

Woah, woah, woah! Is she seriously questioning why I just killed somebody who had every intention to kill us? She is not going to make me out as some heartless monster!

Trying to keep my cool, I take a deep breathe and look over at Sasuke. He's more level headed than Ino. He will know where I am coming from. "I followed proper procedures and tried to get some information out of him before I killed him." Those last three words sound strange coming out of my mouth. "He was going to die anyways from blood loss so I just spared him a painful death."

Sasuke nods. It wasn't in understanding or comfort. Just a simple nod as if to only acknowledge what I'm saying. "You don't have to explain yourself. I get it," he tells me with a blankless expression written on his face.

Does he? Does he really get it? I hope so. I thought I had every right to kill Dosu, but now I am starting to second guess myself if my friends are reacting like this. Did I just make a mistake? Should I have just left him to slowly die? I was afraid he might start questioning my "observations" and they would've overheard. I am seen as smart, but no one is that intelligent enough to gather the information I told to Dosu from just one fight. So, I had no choice but to kill him! All of them know that killing is part of being a Shinobi so I don't know why they appear so cautious of me right now. Maybe I can talk to Sasuke about this later to see what he is truly thinking.

Why can't Shikamaru be awake right now? He would totally understand my actions and logically explain something to everyone else, even if he didn't agree with me killing Dosu. Sasuke can probably do the same, but he's not the type to discuss his inner thoughts unless he deems necessary.

Trying to change the subject, I glance over at Kin and Zaku. "So, what happened with them?"

Sakura decides to speak first this time around. "Well, as soon as you and Sasuke started your battles, the girl told us she was going to make us watch as her teammates killed you two. Which, she was stupid to think we were going to just sit around and allow that to happen. After a few moments of being helpless, an idea pops into my mind…"

 _Sakura pulls out a kunai. Behind her, Kin sneers and pulls her hair even tighter. "Whatever you are planning to do, it is pointless. It is not going to work on me!"_

 _Sakura ignores her words and pretends to struggle, attempting to adjust her body to a better position so she can attack Kin. As she does so, Ino stares at her rival from the corners of her eyes._

 _What is she trying to do? Ino thinks to herself._

 _Suddenly, Sakura averts her eye upwards at her target hidden in the trees and hurls her weapon at it. The kunai strikes the hidden trap and immediately a shower of shurikens and kunais are unleashed._

" _What the hell?!" Kin shouts as she let's go of her prey's hair. She leaps backwards to avoid being impaled as Sakura and Ino does the same._

 _Not letting this opportunity to attack slid, Sakura starts weaving hand signs and two illusionary clones appear by her side. Sakura quickly places a few paper tags on one of her clones and her and her clones rush towards Kin._

" _A simple attack like this isn't going to fool me!" Kin taunts as she pulls out a handful of senbons. I just have to concentrate on which one is the real girl! she adds to herself._

 _But, Sakura doesn't allow that to happen. Sakura waves her hand forward to order her clones to run faster as she sends chakra into her own feet to almost match their speed, just lagging slightly behind. As they on ahead of her, all three Sakura's raise their fist to strike. Kin gets on the defensive when Sakura uses her other hand to lift up two fingers. The clone jumps towards Kin's face and combusts into an explosion of cherry blossoms. Kin blinks in confusion for a second before regaining her senses and hurls a round of senbons towards the second clone coming her way. The senbons pierce into the clone and the clone poofs away, like Kin expected. What Kin didn't expect to happen is for said clone to have explosive tags attached to herself._

 _Kin realizes this at the last moment and crosses her arms to shield her face as Sakura's clone explodes. The smoke impairs Kin's vision and she coughs as some of it enters her lungs. As the she approaches the smoke, Sakura begins weaves handsigns for her new genjutsu._

 _Now is the perfect time to test this out! Sakura thinks to herself as she finishes the sequence and runs into the smoke._

"So, I used my new genjutsu on her and she ended up like that," Sakura finishes, pointing at the unconscious Kin.

"A new genjutsu?!" I repeat, a little too excitedly. I haven't seen her practice any of her genjutsu when we all train together! She must have been practicing on her time.

Sakura nods. "Yeah, but I don't want to tell anybody what it is yet. Well, at least until the Chunin Exams are over with."

Well, shit. Now, I want to know what it is! Maybe she will reveal it during the preliminary matches if we make it to the Tower.

"You better at least tell me and Shikamaru about it," I say to her. "Whatever you did will surely benefit our formations perfectly."

"I will!" Sakura promises and then flickers her eyes over at Ino. "At least I did something during the battle. Ino just stood on the sidelines and watched."

Ino breaks out of whatever daze she was in and crosses her arms. "Shut it, Billboard Brow! You didn't give me a chance! It's like you had this whole thing planned from the start! Which, your little stunt could've killed us by the way if that girl hadn't let go of us!"

Sakura shrugs. "I knew she was going to let go anyways. When Hinata first attacked her, I felt her grip release slightly before her friend stepped in to blow Hinata's wire away. That is when I realized we were underneath the trap that either you or Sasuke set up right in front of the entrance as protection."

I just stare at Sakura in amazement. She faced Kin all alone and without a scratch on her. She has truly improved over the past few months. I always knew she could've been a stronger kunoichi early on if she had just taken her training more seriously. Right now, it is really showing that she has. As Asuma mentioned to Kakashi the other day, our team fights more with our brains than our fists. We might not be stronger than Team Seven or as great with ninjutsu as they are. But, I can bet money that we can outsmart them anyday.

You better watch out, Ino. Sakura is nipping at the back of your feet!

Ino rolls her eyes, but I can tell that she is impressed with Sakura right now. "Whatever. I did help out in someway with Sasuke-kun! If I hadn't used my _Mind Transfer Jutsu_ on his opponent than he would've gotten hurt!"

I turn towards Sasuke with an arched eyebrow. "Did you let your guard down or something?"

Sasuke shakes his head in mild annoyance. "No. After my fight with him, I broke his hands in order for him to stop using them. As I did so, I landed a blow to his head and knocked him out. Or, so I thought. I turned away for a split second to get my wire to tie him up. I sensed him coming at me. Despite me breaking his hands, the guy had enough willpower to overcome the pain in attempt to launch an attack on me. I was too close in range to get out of the way. That's when Ino performed her jutsu and took over his body."

I can tell by the tone of his voice that he is grateful for Ino doing that without having to say it. Ino must have picked up on his tone as well because she begins to blush.

"Well, I was just saving you," she says. "I would do anything for you, Sasuke-kun!"

Sakura grits her teeth in jealousy at Ino's comments as Sasuke ignores them. "Anyways, we should get out of here. Hinata is not in the best of conditions right now, the dobe and your guy's teammate is still knocked out, and our fight has probably attracted some nearby enemies."

As Sasuke says that last part, I hear the slight crunch of a leaf as it sounds like someone is quietly but swiftly trying to get away from the area. I focus my vision on where the noise came from and see Lee jumping away from us into he grows out of view. I wonder if Sasuke saying what he said scared Lee off? Neji and Tenten are probably nearby, but for that moment it would've been four against one if he decided to ambush us. If I recall correctly, he came in during the anime/manga to save Sakura. I guess he was just passing by and just decided to observe. I can't believe I didn't notice him. Is the effects of Dosu's jutsu effecting my vision that bad or was I just too engrossed in my conversation?

I deactivate my Byakugan and place my hand to my head as the sudden change in vision cause my headache to pound even harder. My ears continue to ring as I stand still for a second as nausea decides to grace me with its presence before composing myself.

Sakura give me a worries look. "Are you going to be okay, Hinata?"

I give a weak smile. "I'm sure these symptoms will go away soon. I will be fine as long as I don't exert myself too much."

"Which means we are going to have to stay hidden and quiet since we will be traveling at a slower pace than normal," Sasuke adds in. "We are going to have to rest for awhile before targeting another team so our team can get a scroll."

Crap. I totally forgot about gathering scrolls. I guess our team has one now from defeating the Oto Shinobi and I don't have the slightly clue where that Amegakure team is that I singled out to take their scroll. We are going to have to find them or another random team.

"What should we do about those guys?" Ino asks, flicking her eyes over towards Zaku and then to Kin. "We can't just leave them here, can't we?"

I wonder how upset Ino, or really any of them, will get if I suggested that we just kill Zaku like I did Dosu and keep Kin alive to hand over to somebody for questioning?

Woah, where did that thought come from? Thinking about killing Zaku so causally? Killing Dosu was necessary. Killing Zaku will not be…will it? If we didn't kill Zaku and take Kin, Orochimaru would probably just kill Zaku himself so he can help be apart of that jutsu that brings the dead back to life. If we kill Zaku and take Kin, Orochimaru will have no more minions, excluding Kabuto, to do any dirty work for him at the moment and he still could just find two random people to use as sacrifices for his jutsu. Still, Zaku could try to follow us if we take Kin and those two could someone escape from our clutches or try to attack us when we are off guard if we keep him alive...

"The only thing I'm going to suggest is that we take the girl with us to turn her over to a higher official for questioning after this Exam is over," I tell everyone. I take a deep breathe and chose my next few words cautiously. "Before my opponent died, I try to coax any information out of him but he wouldn't budge. The only things he did mention though was a name and something about a Cursed Mark. Apparently, the guy we fought yesterday is referred to as _Lord_ Orochimaru."

I decided to lie and give this sort of information out it is really the only thing that makes sense at the moment. Many people know the name Orochimaru from him being one of the three legendary Sannin. Plus, I can say that when I was describing our fight with Orochimaru to Dosu that he mentioned something about the Cursed Mark after I talked about how it looked like he was about to bite Sasuke. I could have taken the opportunity and exposed more about what I know but most Shinobi take their secrets to the grave with them and he was still loyal to Orochimaru until his death so it would be strange for him to just ramble on his deathbed. That's why we take Kin along with us and have somebody probe her mind.

Sakura widens her eyes. "You mean as the Sannin? That Orochimaru?"

I shrug. "Unless you know of anybody else with that name than sure."

Sakura bites her lip. "I never really studied about him, but I do know that he left the village for some reason and is considered a S-rank criminal."

"I can see why. He was dangerous as hell during that fight!" Ino remarks. "I wonder what he wants with Sauske-kun? He needs to leave him alone!"

Sasuke gathers the scroll from Zaku and hands it to Sakura. "Here, you should hang on to this since you are the most capable right now."

Ouch, that didn't hurt or nothing.

Sakura flushes red and grabs the scroll from Sasuke. "Thanks, Sasuke-kun!"

"Hn."

"Wait. Can you hand me that for a second?" I ask, reaching out my hand. I have an idea that I've been wanting to do.

"Uh, sure," Sakura replies as I take the scroll from her.

I make my way over to the hideout to retrieve my bag, and everyone's else, and walk back to my friends. I drop all of our bags down and open my up to pull out several blank scrolls and a pen. As I do so, I take out our team's Earth Scroll and Team Seven's Heaven scroll and spread them out. Quickly, I roll up the blank scrolls and begin to copy the seals from the Earth or Heaven Scrolls onto them.

"That's actually a good idea," Sasuke mumbles as he watches me scribble.

"I wanted to do this earlier, but I forgot," I admit to him as I draw. "This trick can buy us time with enemies if we get overpowered or something." I finish the last blank scroll. "What do you think? They are not perfect and I know that the Earth Scroll is purple while my scrolls are white, but a little _Transformation Jutsu_ can fix that."

As I say that, I perform said jutsu on a couple of my scrolls to make them similar to the original Earth Scroll. I put a fake scroll in my own bag and divided up the rest among everyone else, including putting spare ones in my bag for Naruto and Shikamaru. I hand the real scrolls to Sakura and put the other Earth Scroll back in Sasuke's bag.

"Okay, I'm settled now," I say.

Sasuke nods. "Good. Alright, since Hinata isn't in the best condition right now I think I should carry Shikamaru, since he is heavier and taller than the girl and Naruto, while Sakura you carry the girl and Ino you carry Naruto. We can let nature take care of the other guy."

"If you guys get tired, I can help carry someone for awhile," I quickly comment, not wanting to feel like a burden.

"How can you guys carry me if I'm already awake?" a voice asks, causing us to jump and go on the offensive. Naruto stumbles out of the hideout, rubbing his eyes. "Ugh, I feel weird… Hey, why are you all glaring at me for? Did I say something wrong?"

Ino rushes over to Naruto and collides him. "Naruto! I'm so glad you are awake! You had me worried half to death!"

Naruto gives Ino a confused look as she hugs him. Obviously, he isn't used to her acting like this. "Did something happen to me? I don't remember much from yesterday. I just remember seeing Hinata getting thrown off the tree from that creepy guy and then everything went dark."

Ino pulls back and shoot Sasuke a worried look, but he just sighes. "We can fill him in as we go. We should stick around here much longer."

As Sasuke goes to grab Shikamaru, I make my way over to Naruto and pat his shoulder. "Don't worry. Everything is fine now."

Naruto stares at me up and down and furrows his eyebrows. "You look the opposite of fine. In fact, you look terrible! What happened to you?" He glances behind me at the dismembered Dosu and broken Zaku. "W-wait. Aren't those the guys that attacked Kabuto? Did you guys get in a fight with them?"

I open my mouth to respond, but I hear Sasuke's voice from behind me cut in. "I told you that we would fill you in, dobe. Now's not storytime."

Naruto scowls and crosses his arms. "Whatever. Nobody asked you to butt in, teme."

Sasuke rolls his eyes. "At least you seem fine if you're acting like your normal self." I can tell that's his way of asking Naruto if he's alright.

Naruto points at Sasuke. "This is why I need answers to my questions! Why shouldn't I be fine?!"

Sasuke just stares at Naruto for a long second before shrugging and walking off. Sakura throws Kin over her shoulder and glares at Ino. "Since Naruto is awake, you and I are going to take turns carrying her."

Ino suddenly runs away from Sakura. "Sorry, I didn't quite catch that!" she calls back. "Wait up, Sasuke-kun!"

"Grrrr, Ino-pig! You get back here!" Sakura shouts as she takes off after Ino. Well, so much for going quietly at a slow pace.

As Naruto and I start after them to catch up, we continue our chat. "Well, I would ask why Sakura is carrying that girl around but I guess I will find out later," Naruto says to me.

I give him a reassuring smile. "Yes. I promise we will fill you in at our next rest stop."

We travel silently through the forest floor, making sure we are making our way through the thicker brushes and such. While on the move, I make sure to activate my Byakugan every now and again to avoid any dangerous animals or enemies. Traveling by trees would've been better in a normal circumstance, but this way we can conceal ourselves better and rest in more hidden areas when needed. This makes me feel like I am being a huge burden on the team right now. As promised, we told Naruto what happened at our first break and he wasn't to enthused about the fact that he missed out on some intense fighting… after getting angry about me getting hurt of course.

We stop for our third rest stop and I routinely awaken my Byakugan to check things out. As I expand my vision outwards in all directions, I notice something up ahead. A team of Konoha Shinobi that I've never seen before seems to be sleeping in the treetops. I watch them carefully as they keep their eyes closed and they are breathing slowly in rhythmic patterns. The guys has scratches all of their body and the clothes look slightly tattered. They must be exhausted if they are able to just fall asleep in the middle of an Exam like this. Though, my friends and I just did that so I shouldn't be talking. Surrounding the team were a few poorly set traps. As I focus more on them, I realize that one of the guys, the bald one, obtains a Heaven Scroll. I smirk. Things might be turning around for us.

"Do you guys want to rest or get your hands on a Heaven Scroll?" I ask everyone.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. "What did you see?"

I tell him what I just saw ahead. "I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. They seem to be stupidity sleeping in the middle of a dangerous forest without anybody taking shifts for lookout and the traps are easily avoidable if you just follow my lead."

Naruto pumps his fist in the air. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Sasuke shakes his head. "You're not going anywhere."

Naruto shoots his teammate a glare. "What? Why not?"

"It will be better if only a couple of us sneak up ahead to retrieve the scroll while the rest stands behind to stand as backup and watch Shikamaru and the girl," Sasuke explains.

"You're the loudest among us, Naruto," Ino informs Naruto. "That's why you need to stand behind."

Naruto gives me a look to help him out and I just shrug, indicating that I agree with Sasuke. Naruto pouts and crosses his arms. "No way! This isn't fair!"

"Ino, you're staying behind, too," Sasuke tells the blonde.

Ino widens her eyes. "What?! Why?"

"Nyah nyah," Naruto teases and Ino slaps the back of his head. "Ow!"

"It isn't because you guys are the loudest," I tell him, even though it mostly is. "Sakura and I specialize in working from behind the scene and ambushing. Since Sasuke is part of the team that needs the Heaven Scroll, he's gonna come with us. If we need you guys, we will send out a signal."

"I don't want to get stuck on guard duty with her," Naruto mumbles.

Ino's eyebrow twitches. "What was that?"

Sakura rolls her eyes. "Will you guys just shut up? This is why you're standing behind."

Ino opens her mouth to argue against Sakura, but one serious look from Sasuke finally shuts her up.

"Let's go," Sasuke says to me and Sakura. "Hinata, try not to do so much since you are still injured. The only reason you are coming is because of your eyes."

We sneak our way over to the enemies territory. As we do so, we come up with a quick plan while I keep careful watch of them as we avoid their traps. Everything still looks normal so far. There is nothing wrong or strange with their chakra pathways and I don't see any clones or anybody else lurking around. When we are close enough to them, we position ourselves right above the group as they continue to sleep, totally unaware of our presence.

This is easy. Too easy. And, almost always something bad happens if someone thinks such words.

Ignoring the negative thoughts nagging the back of my mind, I nod towards Sakura and she nods back. She creates a _False Surroundings_ genjutsu to conceal ourselves as I silently create two Shadow Clones. They both appear and immediately crouch down, one in front of the other. One Shadow Clone grabs the other by the ankles and I grab the clone's ankles that is crouching down in front of me. As I did so, pain shoots through my right hand, but I bit my lip to ignore it. A little pain isn't going to stop me from getting this scroll! Sakura bends down to grab my ankles and Sasuke does the same thing to Sakura after tying some wire around a thick branch to hold on to. The pink-haired girl blushes as he touches her. After making sure everyone is holding on tight to one another, the clone in the very front free falls towards the Konoha team as we all begin to fall behind her in an orderly fashion, all hanging on to one another to slow down the clone.

As Sasuke supports our human ladder from the top, my clone finally stops just behind the bald headed guy from the bottom. Double checking to make sure it is not a fake, she carefully reaches out towards the Heaven Scroll that is attached to the guy's hip. As her fingertips brushes against the paper, the guy suddenly sneezes and stretches. We all freeze up as we watch him shift around in his sleep some more before getting comfortable again. The clone waits a few seconds before moving and swiftly swaps the Heaven Scroll from him and replaces it with a fake one. My clone waits another few seconds before moving again to make sure the guy doesn't wake up.

When the coast seems to be cleared, Sasuke uses all of his might to begin pulling us up. When Sakura is on her two feet again, she helps out Sasuke with pulling me and the clones up. As I reach the branch, I exert out some extra energy to help pull up my clones. As I did so, my head starts to pound really hard and my ears behind to ring at the same time. A wave of nausea overwhelms me and I feel my body shaking from all of the side effects. My vision wavers and I lose my balance for a split second so I take a couple of steps back to avoid the falling. My sudden change in movements causes my two clones, that are still suspended in mid-air, to swing back and forth. Weakness overcomes me and I accidently let go of my clone's ankles and they start to fall.

Shit! Shit! Shit!

Thinking quickly on our feet, my Shadow Clones throws the Heaven Scroll our way just as I bring my finger together to get rid of them before they crash into the enemies. The scrolls soars through the air and Sasuke barely catches it with his extended hand before it flies over us. I collapse onto my bottom and start to breathe heavily to get through these symptoms as they continue to make me feel ill and cause me pain.

I shouldn't have exerted myself so much. At least we have the Heaven Scroll now. Now, we need to get away from this team before they wake up and spot us.

Sasuke slides the scroll into his backpack and picks me up bridal style without a word. I do not object since I do not think I can move myself right now without vomiting everywhere. Sakura gives me a jealous glance before she and Sasuke silently leap away and make our way back towards Naruto and Ino.

"I told you not to overdo yourself," Sasuke scolds as he looks straight ahead.

I lower my eyes in guilt and shame. First, I promise Sasuke I would stay awake as watch and end up falling asleep. Now, I am being a huge burden to the team right now. I could have gotten us exposed back there. I am screwing up majorly today. I wouldn't be surprised if he is angry with me.

"I'm sorry," I say to him. I hate apologizing to anybody so you know I screwed up big time when I do.

Sasuke just flickers his eyes down at me for a split second before looking back up and doesn't say anything. We make it back to Naruto and Ino and Sasuke gently sets me down in front of a large rock so I can prompt myself against it. I have never been more glad to be out of Sasuke's arm.

"Did cha get the scroll?" Naruto asks as he breaks away from Ino as she crouches over Shikamaru. What is she doing?

"Lower your voice, dobe," Sasuke replies and shows him the Heaven Scroll as proof.

Naruto grins. "This is great! Now, we can go to the Tower now and complete the Exam!"

Sasuke shoots daggers at his teammate. "I told you to be quite! The enemy is not that far off. We are not in the clear yet until we get moving."

Naruto scratches the back of his head. "Heh, sorry. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go, then! Shikamaru is awake so that is one less person for us to carry and drag us down."

My ears perk up. Shikamaru is awake?!

"If I recall, you were dragging everyone else down with me since you were knocked out also," Shikamaru comments from behind Ino. As I sit up, I notice that Ino is wrapping a bandage around his head where he had hit it. The wound has slightly healed since yesterday, but it is capable of reopening of he isn't careful.

"Will you stop yapping at Naruto and let me finish on you?" Ino snaps.

Shikamaru rolls his eyes. "Troublesome woman. You're just as bad as my girls."

Sakura and I shift our eyes over towards our teammate as a tick mark appears on top of Ino's head. "What was that?!" we all say in unison, though my voice is more on the playful side so it gets overruled by Sakura's and Ino's loud mouths.

Here I thought he was the intelligent one of the group. Making three females mad at you, Shikamaru, isn't a smart move. He must've hit his head too hard and jumbled up his brain a bit.

"Are you doing okay?" I add in, giving him a concerned look.

Shikamaru nods. "I'll live. You don't look so hot yourself though." He sends me a look that reads "I know of everything. Are you going to be okay?"

I shrug. "I'll live."

Is this going to be the running gag for Team Ten on every dangerous situation we get ourselves in? Shikamaru and I will get hurt in some way, physically, mentally, and/or emotionally, we check up on one another and reply with "I'll live", and Sakura just comes out of every fight without anything wrong with her at all? I sure hope not. If that's the case, Sakura might be better at this whole Shinobi thing better than Shikamaru and I are.

Naruto frowns. "Are you sure? You look very pale and stuff."

I open my mouth to say something, but Sasuke cuts me off. "She is going to be fine. The side effects from that guy's attack are still in her system so she is going to be experiencing little spells for awhile. But, right now, we need to be worrying about leaving and heading to the Tower. We can't afford to fight another team."

Yeah, I agree. We barely got the scrolls we have right now. It would suck if someone fought us and took one away from us.

Sasuke glances over at me. "Do you think you can make it to the Tower?"

I nod. "We are not too far away from it. I will be fine until we get there."

Sasuke nods back in response and I slowly get up as we all prepare ourselves to leave. Ino finishes wrapping Shikamaru's head and allows him to get up. He stands up and stumbles around for a second as he holds on to his head, but then he regains his balance. I look over at Naruto. He still seems to be fine, but I know that his chakra system is screwed up at the moment. If we did get into a fight or surrounded, the three of us will not be able to fight with our full power in our conditions. What we need is to get to the Tower as quick as possible so we can properly rest and eat. As I think of food, I feel my stomach rumble and I plac a hand over it. In fact, I don't think none of us has eaten or drank anything since the Exams started. We've been either knocked out or on an adrenaline rush and that rush is starting to fade away so we need to hurry before our survival instincts kick in and forces us to stop traveling to eat and drink.

As soon as we are ready, we head towards the Tower. Shikamaru has us to travel in a straight line uniform mixed with the buddy system. Sasuke and I will be traveling up front so I can use my Byakugan to scan the area and warn Sasuke of any enemies. Naruto and Ino are in the middle since Naruto has quick enough reactions to cover the front or back of the group while Ino has fought with him enough to back him up. Sakura and Shikamaru will be in the back since they can perform longer range jutsus to sneak in and stop the enemy in it's tracks or distort it in someone way. I inform the group every two minutes of our whereabouts and how far away we are from the Tower. At the rate we are traveling, if nobody gets in our way, we should be there in about thirty minutes. About halfway to the Tower, something appears within my telescopic vision. I halt to a complete stop, causing Naruto to almost crash into me

"Stop!" I hiss as I focus.

Two familiar looking people are quickly heading our way. At how fast they are going, they have somehow sensed our presences and are planning on approaching us. I frown. I know who these guys are. They are Kabuto's "teammates". But, where is Kabuto? I have a bad feeling about this.

Great. Probably another attempt to capture Sasuke.

I turn to face the others. "You guys remember Kabuto? Well, he isn't with them, but his teammates are heading in our direction and they look like they are itching for a fight."

Ino sighs. "Awesome! Just when we were this close to the Tower."

"They must have been lurking around the Tower to attack any teams that make their way over to it," Shikamaru explains. "It isn't a bad idea. They don't have to go out and look for people when they can just come to them."

"And, we have both sets of scrolls so they can't just bypass us for another team," Sakura points out with a worried expression resting on her face.

I clench my fist. "Then, we are either going to have to give them a fake one or fight them because they are almost here!"

"We can take them on!" Naruto says, pumping his fist up in the air.

"Hopefully we can," Shikamaru says back. "We don't know their skills, but I may have a plan that can help us out."

As we huddle around Shikamaru as he tells us his plan, I have to admit it is a good idea to come up with one a short notice. He never ceases to amaze me. Suddenly, we hear the rustling over trees behind us as Kabuto's teammates make their appearance.

"Well, I hope everybody understands the plan because it looks like our company has arrived," Shikamaru whispers to everyone as we all tense up.

One of Kabuto's teammates, the one with the cloth covering the majority of his face and is wearing sunglasses, juts his chin out towards us. "Looks like we just hit the jackpot, Misumi."

Misumi chuckles. "Six out of the nine rookie Genin here in one spot? You seem to be right, Yoroi."

Naruto grits his teeth. "You guys are outnumbered six to two! Why are you acting so cocky?"

Misumi's eyes shine through his glasses. "For starters, it doesn't seem like you guys are in the best of shapes."

Sasuke arches an eyebrow. "Looks can be deceiving, you know?"

Misumi shrugs. "I highly doubt that."

"Misumi, stop messing around with these brats," Yoroi tells his teammate. "We are here for one reason only. I would like to complete that reason and get out of this damn forest."

I narrow my eyes. "What is this reason of yours?"

With my Byakugan, I see both men smirk from underneath their cloth masks. "To take a scroll from you, of course. That is the goal of this Exam, right?"

Yeah, that's the thing you want to take from us.

Shikamaru sighs in defeat. "Which one do you need?"

Going along with Shikamaru's plan, we all appear shocked. "Shikamaru! What are you doing?" Sakura questions.

Shikamaru gives her a sharp look. "Surviving. These guys have seen through are bluff. We were just in two back to back fights, we haven't ate anything, and we are injured or exhausted. We can't take on these guys."

Yoroi and Misumi seem a little taken back at Shikamaru for giving in so easily before composing themselves. "We are in need of an Earth Scroll," Yoroi replies back cautiously.

Shikamaru pulls out a fake Earth Scroll. "Like this one?"

Misumi nods. "Yeah. You guys are taking the fun out of this though. What if we want to fight you guys and just take all the scrolls you have?"

Yoroi looks over at his teammate and grins. "Heh, I think I like your idea a lot better."

Shikamaru gives our enemies his best confused look. "So, you guys don't want this?"

"Of course we do, you brat!" Misumi snaps. "Yoroi, these brats are getting on my last damn nerves. Let's just finish them off already."

"Gladly," Yoroi replies as he cracks his knuckles. I watch him quickly send a decent amount of chakra to his hands and they suddenly glow blue.

Before any one of us can react, Misumi suddenly extends his arm out towards us and snatches the scroll out of Shikamaru's hands. Okay, I don't remember him being able to do weird shit to his body like Orochimaru can. He retracts his arm, studies the scroll, and the crumples it up. "Do you take us for idiots?! We knew this was a fake this whole time! A _Transformation Jutsu_? How pathetic!"

"We will be getting the real scroll this time!" Yoroi promises. "All of them!"

With that, he begins to charge towards us as Misumi breaks his joints and extends both of his arms towards us.

 **Author's Note: Hey, guys! Sorry that I have not posted in almost a month. I have been really busy with college and the last few weeks of the semester is always the craziest! I passed all of my classes though so that is a plus! Since I made you guys wait, I made this chapter a little long than usual. I hope you all enjoyed it! Since I will be on Winter Break, I will have more time to type now when I am not working. My goal is to have the whole Chunin Exam are completed by the end of this year so expect a lot of chapters to be posted within the next couple of weeks. I feel that will make up for my almost month long hiatus. Next chapter will be the start of the preliminary rounds and I have been waiting to write these chapters! The only hint I am going to give is that I think that Kishimoto could have made some of the fights a little more epic so that is going to be my own for those matches.**

 **Now, about this chapter… OC Hinata seems to have created some strange reactions within herself and the others when she killed Dosu. How will those be handled? Sakura having a new genjutsu up her sleeve? Is she starting to outshine the others or will someone steal her spotlight soon enough? What will happen to Sasuke now that both Orochimaru and his minions have failed to target Sasuke? Why am I asking you all of these questions? Find out next time!**


	21. Chapter 21: Chunin Exams Arc: Part 2

**Disclaimer: It is obvious that I don't own Naruto so don't sue me.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Chunin Exam Arc: Part Two**

 **Chapter twenty-one**

I knew something major like this was going to happen since Sasuke didn't receive his Cursed Mark. Something was going to happen that didn't happen in the anime/manga and that so happens to be Yoroi and Misumi. The two people that I barely even remember and what skills they possess have to be our opponents right now. Misumi has to have other techniques besides being able to stretch out his limbs and I think Yoroi can absorb a person's chakra or make them tired or something. All I know is that Kabuto being missing could be seen as a good thing if it isn't for the fact that he is probably conspiring with Orochimaru somewhere right now. Or, he is actually nearby and has found out a way to avoid my Byakugan. Which, I wouldn't put that against him since he is a very intelligent guy. Another thing I do know for sure is that Yoroi and Misumi are probably stronger than the average Genin since they seen much, much older than us and they are working undercover for Orochimaru. Hopefully, Shikamaru's plan against them will work.

"Watch out for his hands!" I warn the others about Yoroi as he charges after us.

We all split up with the partners that Shikamaru had assigned us to go along with his plan: Sasuke and Ino jumping in the front, Naruto and I stationing ourselves in the middle, Shikamaru and Sakura hiding out in the back. Naruto and I stand in a defensive stance while we wait until it is our turn to do our part as Ino and Sasuke take on Misumi and Yoroi. As Misumi arms go to wrap themselves around Sasuke, probably so he can pull himself forward and contort his body around Sasuke to constrict him, Sasuke activates his Sharingan and quickly weaves some handsigns and grabs both of Misumi's arms. He twists them together and lowers his face so his mouth is leveled with the arms. As Sasuke is about to perform his jutsu, Ino sidesteps a swipe from Yoroi and rapidly lifts up a finger.

" _Fire Style: Dragon Fire Jutsu_!" Sasuke shouts.

" _Water Style: Gunshot_!" Ino shouts.

He breathes out a large burst of fire and the flames catch onto to Misumi's arms and begin to travel at a fast pace towards his body as multiple thick water balls spurt out of Ino's mouth, hitting Yoroi and knocking him to the ground from the close range. Not wasting a moment, Ino makes her clan handsign for her favorite jutsu, focuses on Yoroi, and she instantly drops to the ground. Nothing happens for a few seconds.

As these seconds tick on by, Misumi widen his eyes at the incoming fire and releases extra energy to break hold of Sasuke's death grip to retract his burning arms. As he does so, he makes a couple of handsigns of his own and a spurt of water shoots out of his mouth and onto his arms to wash the fire away. The flames easily fizzle out, leaving behind third degree burns and a pissed off Misumi.

The man begins to charge after Sasuke and hurls a handful of shuriken towards the boy. Sasuke leaps into the air to avoid the attack, but Misumi extends his legs out to meet him and attempts to land a punch. Sasuke performs a mid-air backflip to evade the punch and goes to attack with a kick. Misumi stretches out an arm to grab Sasuke and begins to spin him around like a lasso. Misumi hurls him towards Naruto and I, but Sasuke is able to stop himself from crashing into us and lands gracefully on his feet. As he is landing, I see glimpses of wire hidden between Sasuke's fingers and they seem to be attached to something in Sasuke's pocket.

As Sasuke prepares for his next move, Yoroi suddenly stands up and brushes himself off. He wiggles his fingers and toes around and then glances at Sasuke and the rest of us.

"I got a hold of his body!" Yoroi says, well I guess Ino now since it seems like she successfully completed her jutsu. "However, I am low on chakra so I won't be able to maintain it for long so hurry up!"

Sasuke barely nods and weaves handsigns once more as Misumi briefly looks at his possessed partner and starts to do the same.

" _Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu_!" Sasuke hollars.

" _Water Style: Wild Water Wave_!" Misumi hollars.

A long gush of water pours out of Misumi's mouth as multiple small fireballs shoot out of Sasuke's mouth. As the fireballs begin to come out, Sasuke quickly flings out the shurikens attached to his wire out of his pocket and tosses them into each fireball. The two attacks collide and a small explosion occurs. However, the shurikens that are revealed now soar through the smoke and I hear a small shout of pain and surprise. Smirking, Sasuke pulls back the shurikens with his wire and then manipulates the wire to wrap around Misumi.

This is where Naruto and I come in as backup. As the wires wrap around Misumi, Naruto and I cross our fingers together, causing me to wince in pain for having to use my injured wrist once again, and two Shadow Clones appear beside of us. We all rush into the dissipating smoke and surround Misumi just as he abruptly breakers free from Sasuke's wires, just as Shikamaru expected.

The point of having Ino take over Yoroi's body and for Sasuke to tie up Misumi is to get them in one spot so they couldn't move. Shikamaru predicted that Misumi would be able to break free of the wire, so Naruto and I were to surround him to prevent him from leaving his spot. Binding Misumi momentarily was just to stop him from moving.

As also expected, Misumi tries to escape. However, Shikamaru was not expecting the guy to be able to do freaky stuff with his limbs. Neither was I since I kind of forgot he was able to. But, luckily, we are able to stop him as we all jump into the air as he extends his arms out to grab a branch right above us. Improvising, my clones and I disable one arm while Naruto bites the other arm like a damn dog while his clones latch themselves onto to it to become heavyweight. Weird strategy, but if it works it works. Misumi roars in a sudden fit of rage and tries to shake Naruto off, but fails.

Naruto has some really strong… um teeth?

Misumi whirls his good arm around to smack Naruto and his clones into me and my clones. As my clones and I prepare to leap out of the way, Misumi randomly stops moving halfway into his attack as two hands suddenly pop out from the ground beneath him and begin to drag him down under. As Shikamaru pulls Misumi's feet down, Naruto and his clones fall off of Misumi's arms to avoid going under with him. The only thing that is showing now is Misumi's head. Naruto giggles mischievously and swiftly kicks the guy in the back of the head and then jumps backwards for his safety.

"Urk! B-Bastard!" Misumi yells.

My clones and I have to look away in order to prevent ourselves from laughing in this situation because that was funny. Naruto spontaneously kicking the shit out of Misumi like a damn football? Priceless. He just made the rest of this hellish week for me.

Suddenly, Ino grabs Yoroi's head. "Hurry, Shikamaru! He's trying to take control! I can't hold on for much longer!"

"I'm on it!" I hear Shikamaru mumble from underground.

He burrows underground towards Yoroi's body. He stops right in front of the body and creates a hole to crawl out of. He carefully picks up Ino's body and hurries over back to Sakura, who is taking guard of Kin still. Just as Shikamaru sets Ino's body down beside of Kin, Yoroi's body starts to tremble and then the body slumps to the ground. Half a second later, Ino opens her eyes in her own body and blinks.

Before Yoroi can come to his senses to stand up, Shikamaru creates the Rat handsign and two shadows divert from underneath him. He manipulates them to go into the hole he created earlier in front of him. Without using my Byakugan, I already know that one shadow is going to Misumi, in order to prevent him from somehow breaking free from his hole, while the other shadow heads towards Yoroi. The shadow after Yoroi slithers out of the hole Shikamaru just created in front of him and connects itself to the man.

Shikamaru smirks. " _Shadow Possession Jutsu_ , complete… Wait. Forgot one thing." Exerting out extra chakra, he splits a small part of the shadow holding Yoroi off and allows the shadow to slide into Yoroi's pocket to wrap itself around their Heaven Scroll and brings it back to it's master. "Now, it is complete."

Even though we really don't need one, taking a scroll from them increases the chances of them not fighting us in the preliminary rounds. While Sasuke and Kankuro, I think that's who fights them, wins against Yoroi and Misumi in the anime/manga, they did not cross paths with any of the Rookie 9 during their time in the Forest of Death. Since we have came in contact with him when we are not suppose to things may change for the worse if they stay in the competition. So, taking their scroll could be a good thing for us.

"You damn brat!" Yoroi growls as he struggles to move.

We all ignore him and turn to Shikamaru. "What now?" Sasuke asks.

Shikamaru shrugs, causing Yoroi and Misumi to do the same. "I was thinking about having Hinata disable their chakra pathways while allowing Naruto to knock them out for good measure. Then, letting you tie them up with your wire and we head to the Tower. We will long be at the Tower, if nothing else gets in our way, by the time they wake up."

"What about their third member?" Sakura asks from behind with caution. "I find it weird that he isn't with them."

She flickers her eyes over to me and I activated my Byakugan. Once again, no Kabuto within my vision. "I looked earlier and I am checking again, but I do not see no signs of Kabuto," I tell her.

"Well, then, let me at them!" Naruto practically cheers as he and his Shadow Clones wind their fists up. "I'm dying to finish this Exam and eat a good hot meal and sleep in a comfortable bed so go ahead and do your thing, Hinata-chan!"

My body suddenly aches in agreement with him, but I roll my eyes. "Don't rush me, mister."

I stroll over to Yoroi first, raise my good palm, and quickly strike their major chakra points. Shikamaru's shadow is the only thing holding Yoroi up right now or he would be laying on the ground. I make my way over to Misumi to pull him and block his chakra pathways. As I gently grab his head to start pulling, a quick flicker suddenly distracts me out of the corner of my eye. I stop what I am doing and expand my vision outward just in time to see Kabuto making his way towards us with great speeds.

Shit! Shit! Shit! What the hell?! How did he just pop out of nowhere? He wasn't in my vision less than a minute ago and is already almost here?! Kabuto is just about as fast as Lee! Isn't he afraid his true nature is going to be revealed from moving so fast? He proved to everybody before the written exam when he was attacked by the Oto Shinobi that he was quick on his feet, but not this quick.

I pull my kunai and order my clones to finish the job for me as I regroup with my friends.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asks as he sees the frantic look on my face and takes a step towards me.

"Kabuto will be here in about twenty seconds," I warn him.

Sakura and Ino gasp in shock as Shikamaru and Sasuke tense up and Naruto gives me a puzzled look. "But, how is that possible?" he questions. "You just checked with your Byakugan and said he wasn't nearby."

"Sounds like somebody is hiding his skills," Shikamaru says with narrowed eyes.

Naruto widen his eyes. "What? No way! Why would he do that? That doesn't make any sense!"

I look over at my clones to see they have finished disabling Misumi for me and I lift up a finger to get rid of them. As I did so, I see with my Byakugan as Kabuto is about to break through the trees to greet us.

"Maybe he will be able to answer your question," I tell Naruto. "Because he's here."

As I speak those last three words, Kabuto crashes through the trees and lands in between his teammates and the six of us, well eight if you count Naruto's Shadow Clones. Kabuto takes in the situation, sighs, and adjusts his glasses. All eight of us watch his every move as he goes to check on Yoroi and Misumi, who Shikamaru still has his shadows on. He seems to mumble something in both of their ears before dropping his head and then turning to face us. We all glare at him and tense up once more as he scratches the back of his head and holds up his hands.

"I turn my back on my teammates for a few moments and they sneak off to attack you guys!" Kabuto says to us in a tone that contained a mixture of embarrassment and amusement.

Sasuke, however, doesn't seem to find any of this amusing. "What do you mean turn your back on them?"

"We were taking a rest and I volunteered to go out and find some food," Kabuto explains in his same tone of voice. Hmm, he's good. That's a believable lie. "I didn't realize those two had sensed you guys and went after you all."

"Why would they leave you behind?" Shikamaru questions. "If they sensed all of us and wanted to strike, they would have had a better chance with bringing you along since the numbers are clearly not on their side."

Kabuto nods in agreement. "One might think that, yes, but-"

"But, he would have just gotten in our ways," Yoroi croaks from behind Kabuto.

Kabuto coughs in mild annoyance. "Well, you didn't have to put it like that," he mumbles. He looks back at us and gives us a crooked smile. "You see, I'm not the strongest person on this team. What I lack in power and technique I make up for in my speed and intelligence."

I would question the fact why he is admitting his strengths and weaknesses to us if he hadn't already proved it to us in someway. He showed us his speed when the Oto Shinobi attacked him, he showed us his intelligence in gathering information when he showed us his cards, and Yoroi just implied that he is weak and usually gets in their way. All of this would have made perfect sense to me if I didn't know the true Kabuto. If I didn't, I would have just thought Kabuto as a friendly, nerdy guy who doesn't have much luck when it comes to the Chunin Exams.

However, the pace he was going on his way here is abnormal compared to the above average speed that he has been showing to play his part as a Genin. The question is should I or should I not call him at on it. If I call him out on it, he might just get ticked off and reveal his true powers and kill us all in a blink of an eyes. He is capable. If I don't question him, I might lose the chance of creating doubt in my friend's mind about Kabuto. I could also lose the chance of revealing his true self and motives to a higher up and be able to stop him sooner.

As I ponder about these things, Naruto answers my internal conflicting question for me. "But, how did you get here so fast?"

Kabuto arches an eyebrow. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean by that. I just told you I'm a pretty fast individual."

I sigh. Might as well elaborate for Naruto. All cards on the table.

"With my Byakugan, one moment you were not in my vision and then less than a minute later you were," I explain to him. "At the speed you showed us before the written exam, it would've been impossible for you to suddenly appear in my vision like that and get here so fast. And, my vision can expand pretty far."

Kabuto just stares at me for a second and then gives us another crooked smile. "Well, a true Shinobi isn't suppose to reveal everything about themselves to others. This is the Chunin Exams after all. I might've been targeted if my opponents knew how quick I could really be. I would've probably been targeted and chased just to see if someone could catch me. Now, why would I want such a thing to happen to me and my teammates?"

I curl in my lips, frustrated. He always had a damn answer for everything! And, they are all believable and good answers!

Shikamaru takes a step forward and all eyes are on him. "Well, as you can see, your teammates failed to steal a scroll from us. No offense, but you will not be able to take us on if you are planning to do so."

I know Shikamaru is just trying to diffuse the situation so we can hurry to the Tower, but yes he can! Shut up!

Kabuto shakes his head. "Oh, no. I wasn't planning that at all. I was just merely searching for my teammates. I would be stupid to try to take a scroll from you guys." He eyes the Heaven Scroll that Shikamaru is holding in his hand. "Though, it looks like you guys managed to take our scroll." He glances back at his Yoroi and Misumi. "And, here I thought I would be the one to screw up and cause us to lose our scroll."

"Shut it," Yoroi growls as Misumi scowls.

Naruto leans into my ear. "Can we not just give Kabuto his scroll back? I know those guys attack us, but he's a nice guy. He's helped us out by giving us pointers when he didn't have to and showed us information about the other competitors. Why don't we return the favor and help him out?"

Poor, Naruto. Always trying to be the good guy in any situation he is in. Too bad that isn't going to convince me, and hopefully anybody else, to change my mind.

"I understand where you are coming from," I whisper back. "However, if we give the scroll back to him what if he becomes that obstacle that prevents you from becoming a Chunin? You heard what he said: a Shinobi never reveals their secrets. He was already hiding how fast he is. I bet he is hiding other aspects of him as well and I really don't want to find out what they are."

Naruto opens his mouth to protest back, but I pull a Hiashi and hold up my hand to silence him. His face drops in defeat, but he respects my non verbal command.

Suddenly, Kabuto shifts his attention over towards Kin and he raises his eyebrows."Now, she looks familiar. Is she one of those Shinobi from Otogakure that attacked me? Are you guys carrying her around as a trophy for defeating her and her teammates? Maybe as bait?"

Sasuke glowers at Kabuto and the four-eyes takes a step back. "That is none of your business."

Kabuto holds his hands up once more. "You are right. I apologize! It isn't none of my business. I just found it strange that you guys have her in your company." None of says anything in response, even Naruto.

Sorry, Kabuto. You are not prying anything out of us, though it sucks we ran into you and now you will tell Orochimaru what you saw.

Kabuto awkwardly coughs and adjusts his glasses. "Well, since you guys have our scroll, I'm going to just gather up my teammates and try to heal them to the best of my ability," Kabuto warns us so we don't suddenly spring on him if he goes for his teammates.

Shikamaru nods and releases his jutsu from Yoroi and Misumi. "That's your best choice right now."

Kabuto walks over to retrieve his teammates, slinging both of them over his shoulders like a couple of rag dolls. Before he takes off, he gives us one last passing glance. "Even though you guys have our scroll, I hope to be seeing you guys in the next round. It is only the second day so don't count us out just yet!" He gives us a kind smile.

Naruto grins back and sticks out his thumb. "Best of luck to ya, Kabuto!"

Kabuto gives Naruto a quick wave, seeing he is the only one who has given him any warm interaction, and hops off. As soon as Kabuto is out of my vision, I deactivate my Byakugan and huff a sign of relief.

"He's gone," I inform everybody.

"For now," Sasuke says. "We aren't that far away from the Tower. We need to go before anybody else gets in our way."

"Yeah," Ino agrees. "I'm low on chakra so I don't think I can handle another fight. Plus, Hinata and Shikamaru are still injured and we are all hungry and exhausted."

"I hope I get to wash my hair," Sakura says as she runs her hands through it. "It's so dirty and tangly."

"Well, let's stop talking about all the things we want to do and let's get to the Tower so we can actually do those things!" Naruto tells them matter of factly.

Sakura just rolls her eyes as Ino's eyebrow twitches. I bet if she had more energy that she would have yelled at Naruto or bonked him on the head with her fist.

Sasuke decides it is his turn to carry Kin so he throws the girl over his shoulder as Shikamaru hides the Heaven Scroll in his backpack and we head off to the Tower. As before when we were traveling, I keep my Byakugan active to watch out for any danger and we walk in our line that Shikamaru assembled. After about twenty minutes of walking, the Tower finally comes into view. Before taking a step further, I scope out the area and find that the coast is clear. Sakura and Ino squeal with joy at the sight of the Tower as Naruto cheers and me, Sasuke, and Shikamaru smile in relief. Kin just lays there, silently.

We all sprint towards the Tower and stop in front of it once we reach it. There seems to be multiple doors in front of us and each door has a seal on it. Above each door is a piece of paper with several teams listed on each on. I guess so we can enter the Tower in an organized matter if more than one team come at once. Our team has to go through the third door while Team Seven has to go through the first one.

"Well, I guess we have to go through our designated doors," I say to everybody.

"I hope there is some ramen waiting for me on the other side," Naruto says as he licks his lips and rubs his hands together.

"Somehow, I doubt that," Sasuke mumbles.

"Maybe they have some in a kitchen or something inside," I tell Naruto. "I mean, they should have some kind of food. We can't just starve for the next three days."

"We have our rations you told us to pack," Shikamaru reminds.

I shift my eyes over to my teammate. "I know that. But, I think we deserve higher quality food after what we been through."

Shikamaru shrugs. "I was just letting you know that there is no way for us to starve."

I ignore my troublesome pineapple head and turn back to Team Seven. "We can meet up with you guys later if you can handle spending three more days with us. I don't want to be around any strangers."

"Yeah, there are some freaks here," Naruto comments.

"Eh, I don't know if I want to put up with Billboard Brow any longer," Ino teases.

Flames spark in Sakura's eyes and she points at me. "Put up with me?! Don't forget that I saved your butt, Ino-pig!"

On second thought, maybe it isn't a good idea for us to spend anymore time together.

"What do we about the girl?" Shikamaru asks, breaking up the potential argument. We all look over Kin as she is still draped over Sasuke's shoulder.

I tap my chin. Good question. I kind of expected for an Anbu or someone to randomly appear once we had reached the Tower and take Kin from us. By now, they have to know that those three Oto Shinobi were apart of Orochimaru's plans. I highly doubt we have been going through this Exam without being watched by cameras or some Anbu, especially since we got attacked by Orochimaru.

"I'll take her," a low voice says behind me, causing all of us to jump.

Team Ten whirls around on the offensive and we instantly drop our guards as we see an Anbu wearing a hawk's mask staring back at us. Damn, these Anbu are so damn sneaky! Giving me a damn heart attack. I didn't sense him behind me! That's scary!

"Do you need any of us to come with you?" Sasuke asks before handing over Kin.

The Anbu shakes his head. I am assuming it is a male since the person spoke in a low voice, but I cannot really say for sure. "You will be summoned if any questions need to be clarified."

So, either we have been watched or they want to get information out of the girl first and then report what we have to say after this Exam is over with. It isn't like they cancel the Exam or drag us out in the middle of it for questioning. I mean, I guess you can if you are the Hokage. But, he's not going to do that.

Sasuke nods. "Understood," he tells the Anbu and he hands over Kin to the hawkman. The Anbu carefully places the girl over his shoulder, lifts his finger up, and disappears without a poof of smoke.

Skilled.

After a couple of seconds of silence, I decide to break it. "Well, that answers your question Shikamaru."

Shikamaru sighs. "No kidding. That guy came out of nowhere. I wish he came sooner though so we didn't have to travel with her."

Both Sakura and Ino twitched their eyebrows. "Why are you complaining for?! You didn't even have to carry her!"

Shikamaru holds his hands up in surrender as I clasp my hands together. "Maybe we should just go through our doors before some heads get ripped off."

Everybody is actually eager to take my advice so we all wave to one another and walk up to our designated door. The three of us look at each other for a second and then I pull open the doors, causing the seal to break. We walk into an open room with nothing in it but a large scroll, with words written on it, resting on the wall ahead of us.

"Well, what now?" I wonder out loud. I kind of forgot what we are supposed to do now that we have entered the Tower. Do we open our scrolls now or wait for someone to come greet us?

"Hey, what does this say?" Sakura asks, referring to the large scroll. We all look up at it as she begins to read the words on it. " _If you do not possess Heaven, gain knowledge and be prepared. If you do not possess Earth, run through the fields and seek strength. If you open both Heaven and Earth Scrolls, dangerous paths turn into safe paths. This is the secret something. It shall lead you on your way._ Hmm, it looks like there is a part missing. You two see that blank spot?"

Shikamaru and I nod. So, we do have to open our scrolls!

"I think the writing is referring to our Heaven and Earth Scroll," I tell him. "We probably have to open them."

"Yeah, maybe the missing part is hidden in the scrolls," Shikamaru adds on. "Maybe we have to write down the missing part to complete the Exam."

I shake my head. "I don't think we have to do that. I think we have to just open them. Unlike our team, not everybody has writing utensils on them. Unless they expected us to fill in the blank with our blood or something."

Shikamaru rolls his eyes. "The sarcastic comment wasn't needed."

I point at myself and wink. "Sorry, it comes with the package."

"Then, can I please send you back?"

I stick my tongue out at him and then look over at Sakura. "Let's open the scrolls together."

I hand her the Heaven Scroll while I keep the Earth Scroll. I hear Sakura gulp as we slowly start to peel back the scrolls while Shikamaru leans his head in to watch. I don't blame Sakura for being so nervous; Anko was very serious about us not opening the scrolls. We quickly open the scrolls all the way. The scrolls unroll revealing some words and some kind of seal with the word " _Person"_ labeled on top of the seal.

Sakura cocks her head to the side with a puzzled look on her face. "Person?" she repeats. Suddenly, smoke begins to rise out of the scrolls and Sakura and I gasp in surprise. "W-what's going on?"

I widen my eyes. "It is a summoning inscription. Sakura! We need to throw the scrolls away from us!"

She nods and we both through our scrolls away from us and they roll onto the ground. We all take a couple of steps back as the scrolls overlap one another and more smoke pour out of the scrolls until a dark figure unexpectedly pops out of the scroll. I arch my eyebrow as I realize who it was, even though I forgot his name I remember his face. What is he doing here?

"What?" Shikamaru says as we stare at the guy in front of us.

"Heh, it seems like I won the bet after all," the guy chuckles as he shoves his hands into his pocket. "Though, it looks like you three have been to hell and back."

Technically, I have done that before if you count genjutsu.

"What bet?" Sakura asks. "What's going on? Who are you and why are you here?"

The guy sighs in mock disappointment. "I'm offended that you don't recognize this face. You guys just saw it a couple of days ago."

"Well, you were under disguise back then the first time we meet you and the second time we were too engrossed in our exam to remember all the proctors in the room," I politely reminded the guy.

The guy looks taken back for a second before smirking. "It seems you have good eyes and memory, kid."

I shrug. "Well, I do possess the Byakugan."

The guy bursts out laughing and I don't understand what is funny. "Man, Asuma was right about this team. You guys are interesting I must say!"

Shikamaru raises an eyebrow. "You know Asuma?"

The guy crosses his arm. "Sure do. We are good buddies. I work with him on missions from time to time." Sakura opens her mouth to say something, but the guy cuts her off. "Don't worry. I didn't forget your questions. My name is Hagane Kotetsu and I am here because us Chunins are to welcome the examinees at the end of the Second Exam."

Kotetsu! That's his name! He's the only guy I know that wears a large ass strip of bandage on his nose. Seriously, doesn't that thing make it harder for him to breathe? It is so thick!

"I was given Team Ten so I can give you guys a special message," he continues and then itches his nose with a finger. "Actually, I chose you guys since you three are Asuma's students. I was curious and wanted to see the baby Genin."

Baby Genin? Haven't heard that one before.

"What message?" Sakura questions.

Kotetsu grins at us. "First off, I want to say congratulations for passing the Second Exam!"

I feel my own grin spread across my face with joy. I already knew that we had passed the moment we reached the Tower, but hearing him say that just set it in stone for me. I pump my right fist into the air. "Woohoo! We passed!" I cheer. Suddenly, pain shoots through my hand and I realize I am moving my injured wrist around. I wince in pain as I hold on to it and gently bring it down.

Kotetsu chuckles once more. "Heh, it looks like you have hurt yourself. Don't overdo it." As I feel my face grow slightly red in embarrassment, Kotetsu picks up one of the scrolls underneath him and lifts it up. "The point of this exam was to test how well you can follow orders and complete a mission all the way through. Sometimes, as Chunin, you will be sent off on missions where you will have to deliver some top secret information sealed up in a scroll like this. At times, you might wonder what it is inside of the scroll but you have to complete your mission and not open it for any reason. By not opening these scrolls, you guys have proven that you have what it takes to take on such missions."

Well, we really didn't have time to sit around and wonder what is hidden inside of these scrolls. But, I would never risk a mission, life, or my Shinobi career just to open a scroll.

"What would have happened if we had open the scrolls?" Shikamaru asks, now wondering himself.

Kotetsu punches the air. "Simple. I knock you guys out and you would've failed the Exam for breaking the rules."

Sakura scrunches up her face. "Knock us out? Brutal."

Kotetsu shrugs. "Well, they shouldn't be opened in the first place. Urges may happen, but that doesn't mean you should act upon them."

I point at the large scroll behind him. "Is whatever written in the scrolls the missing piece to that blank over there?"

Kotetsu looks over to see what I am talking about and nods. "I was getting around to that. What is written on that wall is the principle Hokage-sama wrote that you three should keep in mind as a Chunin. Since it seems like you guys have already read it, you have probably figured out that Heaven refers to the mind of a person while the Earth means the body. If one does not have a strong mind, go out and gain knowledge and be prepared. Study, meditate, go out on a variety of mission to gain various experiences. If one does not have a strong body, run through the the fields and seek strength. Train yourself everyday, push yourself to new limits, never give up. If you have both a strong mind and a strong body, Heaven and Earth, any dangerous missions will become safe. You will be a well-rounded and ready Shinobi.

"As for the empty blank, it symbolizes Chunin. That is what that word, _Person,_ means in your scroll. It goes there. This Exam is also meant to test your basic abilities as a Chunin, which was why you were not allowed to have your Jounin leaders around. Chunin is a commander-class. They have the duty to lead others in a team. Sometimes it is two people. Sometimes it can be ten. Either way, you have to be ready for anything that comes at you since your comrades will be looking to you for commands. Following the Chunin principle will help you guide your teams to success. If you have the balance of Heaven and Earth on your side, you will almost never fail. Always remember this."

A realization hits me. Has Asuma been training us this whole time to balance our Heaven and Earth? I remember him mentioning to Kakashi a few days back that he doesn't only train us to fight with our fists. We are trained and encouraged to use our minds as well. At the same time, we are also given equal time to train our bodies. In our training sessions, one part is never more important than the other. It is always equal. Ordering us to come up with formations and teaching us to think on our feet helps our Heaven while improving on our weaknesses and overdoing ourselves in teaching training sessions helps our Earth. It isn't just some random training he decides to give us for the day. He has been helping us prepare to become Chunin since the first day we met him. No, it is more than that. He has been helping us to become the best Shinobi he knows we can be.

I don't care what anybody says or what kind of reputation Kakashi has or how strong Guy is. Asuma is the best out of all of them and I am thankful to have him as my sensei.

We all nod in understanding and Kotetsu clears his throat. "Well, that is all I am suppose to tell you guys. Until the Exam is completely over on the fifth day, you guys will be hanging around the Tower. There is plenty of food to eat and beds to sleep in. Once again, congratulations on passing the Second Exam and good luck in the Third one!"

"Wait!" Shikamaru calls out. He pulls out the scroll we took from Kabuto's team. "We took an extra scroll from a team that we do not need. What do we do with it?"

Kotetsu shrugs. "Throw it on the ground? I don't know. I don't need it. Impressive that you went above and beyond and grabbed another scroll."

Shikamaru does as Kotetsu suggests and tosses it on the ground. Kotetsu is about to poof away again.

"Wait!" Sakura hollars before Kotetsu can poof away. "You forgot to answer one of my questions."

Kotetsu raises an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah. What would that be?"

"What bet did you win?"

Kotetsu laughs. "Oh, that question? I didn't win anything major. I just made a bet with my pal, Izumo, and Asuma how many days it will take before you guys complete the exam. Asuma said one day, I said two, and Izumo said four. I would say that at least your sensei has a lot of faith in you guys. Too bad you didn't come a day earlier or he wouldn't have lost some money just now."

Sakura, Shikamaru, and I sweatdrop. Of course Asuma made a bet on us. I bet all the Jounin did. However, now that I think about it, I wonder how we would've actually done if our team had now joined up with Team Seven. I am pretty confident to say that we would've made it to the Tower on the first day. We were extra prepared and we have our ambushing and planning skills and my Byakugan to back us up. This Exam was practically made for Team Ten.

"Hmm, you guys don't seem as amused about this as I am," Kotetsu mumbles once he notices the expressions resting on our faces. He shrugs. "Oh, well. See you guys later."

"Wait!" I shout.

"What?" Kotetsu asks, exasperated.

I shrug. "I forgot."

Kotetsu rolls his eyes and finally poofs away.

"Well, now I feel bad for making Asuma lose some money," Shikamaru says awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.

Sakura huffs. "He shouldn't have gambled on a bet in the first place. It's his fault!"

Shikamaru shrugs. "Troublesome. I still feel bad. But, anyways, what do you guys want to do now since we are stuck here for the next three days."

As soon as he says that all of our stomachs rumble in hunger and I laugh. "How about we grab a bite to eat?" I suggest. "We haven't not eaten since yesterday morning."

"Shouldn't you go get your wrist treated instead?" Sakura asks.

I wave my good hand. "Food is more important."

Shikamaru gives me a look of concern. "We don't mind going with you and waiting if you are worried about holding us up from eating."

"Really. I'm fine!" I tell them. "Going another half hour isn't going to kill me. Plus, you are injured as well, Shikamaru. Don't be just focusing on me. Now, come on, let's go find some food!"

Activating my Byakugan, I turn to my left and head towards a staircase that leads up to a balcony. Shikamaru and Sakura follow me as we climb the stairs and make our way across the balcony. On the other side of the room is door and I open it once I get to it and we all walk into a hallway, Shikamaru closing the door behind us. The hallway is pretty narrow with only five doors in a row across from us, two doors on our side of the hallway, and then two other doors at the ends of the hall. The five doors across from us lead into some strangely empty rooms while the two doors at the ends of the hallway lead to another staircase. We take the door to our left since it is the closest and walk up it, leading us into another hallway and onto the third floor. The hallways is an exact replicate as the one on the second floor, but three of the doors lead to a medium sized room with bunkbeds in it, one door leads to a bathroom, and one door leads to a kitchen. At the ends of the hallway, the door on our left appears to be locked but leads to another staircase while the door to our right leads to an outside balcony for fresh air. I guess this is where we are living the next few days.

As I inspect the bedrooms, I see that each room is pretty much bare except for the ten bunkbeds that occupy it and the one small dark dresser sitting in the corner. The room closest to the door leading to the outside balcony appears to be already claimed by Gaara, the bedroom beside of that by Temari and Kankuro, and the bedroom beside of that by Kiba's team.

Heh, is Temari and Kankuro that afraid of Gaara to not sleep in the same room as him. Well, at this stage in his life, he is a blood thirsty killing machine so I can't blame them. On the other hand, I am a little annoyed that Kiba, of all people, made it here before we did. Heck, they probably arrive yesterday since they are a tracking team.

Why is Choji on Team Eight again?

I look over at Shikamaru and Sakura. "Okay, we can either bunk with a team from Suna or bunk with Kiba's team and encourage Team Seven to come with us."

Sakura scrunches up her nose. "That's our choices? Damn. I wanted our own rooms."

"Well, the news only gets worse from here," I tell her. "The bathroom has no hygiene products or towels in it whatsoever and the kitchen is full of rations and bland foods and snacks like nuts, fruit, and stuff to makes small sandwich. Plus, the bathroom only has two stalls in it and one shower."

Sakura slumps her shoulders. "Are you serious?! I was so looking forward to a hot shower."

"I mean, you could still shower," I tell her. "Just only with water and you would have to air dry or still a sheet from an unoccupied bed."

She hangs her head. "This sucks."

Shikamaru rolls his eyes. "It could be worse. At least we are safe and indoors now."

Sakura raises her head. "I guess you're right."

"Wow! This place is a dump!" I hear Ino exclaim to my right. We all turn in the direction of her shrill and see Team Seven walking towards us.

Sakura grins, wanting to be the one to break the bad news to Ino. "Actually…" She begins to repeat everything I just told her to Ino, Sasuke, and Naruto.

"What?!" Naruto and Ino shouts as she places her hands to her hair while Naruto rubs his stomach.

"I really wanted some ramen," Naruto whines.

"I really wanted to wash my hair!" Ino complains.

"I really want you guys to shut up," Sasuke says and I crack a smirk. He's really getting annoyed with their constant complaining. "Naruto, suck it up and go eat a sandwich. It will fill you up. Ino, rinse the dirt out with water. It is better than nothing."

Naruto gives Sasuke an irritated look while Ino pouts. "Geez, teme. Chill," Naruto mumbles.

All of a sudden, a door opens up beside of us and Kiba pokes his head out."Actually, I agree with Sasuke. Shut up. Some of us are trying to get some rest."

"In the middle of the day?" I question.

Kiba huffs. "Like there is anything else to do around here. We've been here since last night and I'm already bored! They don't allow us to do anything or leave and go anywhere! I can't even explore the damn Tower with Akamaru! It sucks!"

"The food is pretty decent though," Choji pipes up from behind Kiba.

At the sound of Choji's voice, Shikamaru pushes past Kiba and walks over to his childhood friend. "Hey, buddy. Long time no see…"

As they catch up, Kiba gives us an annoyed look. "Now, we have to share a room with all you guys. There goes our peace and quiet."

Ino places her hands on her hips. "Kiba, a room will never be peaceful and quiet while you are in it!"

"Yeah!" Naruto says, tag teaming with Ino. "So, you really can't be calling us out!"

Kiba narrows his eyes. "I didn't specifically call you guys out you, idiot! If you want me to, I will!"

I sigh loudly. At this rate, Gaara is going to come out of his room and kill us all from all the racket these three are causing. "While I would typically enjoy watching Konoha's three biggest loudmouths argue, this is not the right time or place to be doing so. There are other people besides us on this hall so we need to just settle ourselves into a room and play nice." Before anybody can argue with me because of my insult, if you can call the truth an insult, I grab Naruto's arm and gently yank him towards me. "You're coming with me."

"What? Why?" Naruto questions.

I ignore him and Kiba's, Ino's, and Sakura's stares as I drag him down the hallway and into the small kitchen. I close the door behind me and release his arm. "You really can't be getting into any arguments with anybody while we are here," I warn him. "The other Shinobi might get annoyed and pick a fight with us. Do you want that happening?"

Even though I am pretty sure the Sand Siblings cannot do squat shit to us since the Second Exam is over for all of us at the moment, I am just trying to stay on the safe side.

Naruto frowns. "It isn't like I started the argument. Kiba did."

"Well, you and Ino were being pretty loud before he opened the door to join in," I admit. "But, I'm not blaming you or anybody! I'm just forewarning you and just suggesting you keep you use your inside voice until the Exam is over. We are all exhausted and grouchy right now from being tired and hungry so I understand you and Ino complaining. Unlike Sasuke-kun, it didn't bother me."

Naruto gives me a sheepish smile and rubs the back of his neck. "I guess you are right, Hinata-chan. I do get a little grouchy when I haven't ate." He rubs his hands together and walks over to an apple lying in a bowl with other fruit and took a bite out of it. He makes a strange face as he chews and swallows it. "Mmm. So appetizing."

I smack my forehead. "Here. I have a surprise for ya."

Naruto looks at me curiously as I pull out a storage scroll from my backpack and undid it contains. I pull out a ramen cup, sealed the scroll back up, and tossed it in my backpack. I hand him the ramen cup and Naruto's face instantly brightens up. "You brought this for me?! Thank you so much!"

Awh. He's so cute when he's giddy like this.

I give him a kind smile. "You are welcome. I figured if you complained enough that I would get annoyed and was going to throw this at you to keep you quiet and happy. You know, just find some water, have Sasuke-kun heat it up for you with a minor fire jutsu, and voila! Instant ramen!"

Naruto nods his head rapidly. "You are always thinking ahead and have the best ideas!"

"I know!" I tell him. "Thanks!"

Naruto pulls out a small pot from a drawer, fills it up with water, and begins to boil it over a stove. "No, I really mean it!" he continues as he splits his attention between me and the water. "I was a little hesitant when you first introduced the idea of having your team and my team working together in the forest. But, all six of us ended up getting a scroll and making it to the Tower! I mean, who's to say either team would've made it without the help from the other team?"

I give him a fake pouty look. "I can't believe you didn't have any faith in it. Sasuke was the only one on your side who did."

Naruto widens his eyes and begins to mildly panic as he waves his hands. "What? No, no, no! Don't take it like that! I didn't mean it like that!"

I jab my elbow playfully into his ribs. "I'm just messing around with you. Thank you for telling me that. I was worried about my plan the whole time, especially since so many things went wrong. I thought long and hard about what would be the best plan for the Rookie Nine to get through the Second Exam. Even though it might've increases our odds of survival during our fights if Kiba's team had stuck around, I still think we executed my plan fairly well."

"I just like how you care so much about other people and are willing to put their needs before yours," Naruto admits. "Especially during the Chunin Exams. A lot of people would not have wanted to help their friends out." He lowers his eyes. "That's why I was a little shocked to hear that Ino reacted pretty badly to you… um… actions during your fight with the Oto Shinobi."

Oh, yeah. I almost forgot about that. I really need to talk to her about that. She made it seem like for a split second that I was a monster who protecting myself and my friends.

Instead of badmouthing her, I just give her the benefit of the doubt. "Ino is still a rookie, as we all are. Most Genin fresh out of the Academy are not expected to enter in the Chunin Exams or kill other Shinobi. A typical Genin would be training or going on a D-ranked mission right now. Our squad leaders just decided we were skilled enough to take these Exams, but, personally, I believe most of us are far from ready. Including me. We don't' have the experience yet to become Chunin. Skills? Maybe. Experience? No. I don't know about Kiba's team, but you and I have only been on a mission that leads us outside of the village once. Yes, it got bumped up from a C-rank to an A-rank mission. But, that doesn't qualify us to become Chunin. So, I don't blame Ino for reacting the way she did to my actions. She isn't ready for that yet, even though we have been taught our whole lives that we may have to kill someday. Heck, I wouldn't even be upset if you thought the same way that Ino does."

However, just because I say that doesn't mean I'm not going to defend myself.

"But, it isn't like I killed the guy for the fun of it. I didn't get any thrill out of slitting his neck. I was just protecting me and my friends. He was going to hurt me, kill me, and then get to Sasuke to capture him. I was not going to allow that. I tried to think of other ways to stop him, but that unfortunately ended up being the solution. Is killing going to be my way to end every fight? No. It was just necessary in that battle."

I take a deep breathe.

"Sorry for rambling on like this. I just needed to get this off of my chest when you mentioned Ino. I was planning on talking to her later about it. I don't want her to think that I am a bad person when I am on. Just because we might not care for each other, and she can get on my last nerve at times, doesn't mean I dislike her. I still care about what she thinks of me and she is my comrade."

Naruto remains silent for a moment as he takes in what I just said to him. As he does so, he turns off the stove since the water is boiling now and pours the water into the ramen cup. Now, it is time for the sixty seconds of waiting before the water cools down.

"Don't apologize," he says to me as he stares at his ramen cup. Is he counting down in his mind and talking at the same time? Multitasker. "I understand what you're saying, I think. I don't think you are a bad person at all. Ino doesn't either."

I raise my eyebrows at this information. "How do you know that?"

"After our talk with Iruka-sensei about the meaning behind the Second Exam, Sasuke had a quick talk with Ino about you," Naruto explains. He claps his hands together. "Sixty seconds is up! Time to eat!"

I widen my eyes. No, he didn't. "Are you serious?!"

Naruto stops slurping his noodles. "Yeah, I'm serious. I counted to sixty and-"

"I'm not talking about that Naruto."

"Oh!" Naruto says as he swallows. "Yeah! Sasuke really did talk to Ino. Though, I don't know what he said. He kinda pulled her side and he didn't look angry or anything, but he didn't look happy. But, Sasuke's always been weird about you."

My heart skips a beat, and no not in a romantic way. More like I'm surprised kind of way.

"What do you mean by that?"

Naruto shrugs. "You've seen how he acts at times when he is around you. He gets very protective of you when people don't treat you right. You see how he handled Shino the other day."

My curiosity fades away. Well, shit. I already knew he was protective over me. I don't know why, but I knew he was. I was really looking forward to hearing some juicy gossip about Sasuke's internal thoughts since that land is a mystery.

"Well, I just hope Ino is not angry at me now that Sasuke talked to her about whatever," I tell him. "I don't want her to think he fights my battles for me or that I wanted him to talk to her."

"I don't think Ino does. She didn't look upset or angry as Sasuke spoke to her, though I don't think she could ever get mad at him. She just looked a little shocked. That's all."

Probably because she was getting confronted by Sasuke about me.

"Hmmm, you're very observant today, Naruto-kun," I tease.

Naruto doesn't take notice. "Hmm, if you say so. I was just bored so I decided to watch them. I tried to squint my eyes and read their lips, but that didn't work."

I giggle. "Okay, well thanks for telling me this. I'm going to go talk to Ino really quick and nip this whole thing in the butt."

Naruto arches an eyebrow. "You really should eat first."

I grab a nutrition bar from my backpack and quickly devour it. "I will eat a real meal later. I promise!" I quickly walk out of the room when Naruto has his mouth full so he cannot protect me from leaving.

I shut the door behind me and walk past the bathroom door just as it opens and out step Sasuke. Great. Not the person I really want to talk to right now. I'm a little annoyed that he spoke to Ino behind my back about me without my permission. Not like I would've said yes anyways.

I try to walk around him to get to our bedroom, but he gently grabs my arm to stop me. "Wait."

I turn around. "Is something wrong?"

"I heard you and Naruto talking," Sasuke admits.

Wow, are the walls that thin?

"O-oh," I say stupidly, not expecting him to say that.

"Can we talk outside on the balcony?" Sasuke asks. "I would like to speak about this somewhere more private."

I arch an eyebrow. "Speak about what?"

Sasuke doesn't says anything and pulls my arm and leads me outside. "You know how the dobe makes a bigger thing out of something than it really is. Me talking to Ino wasn't anything extreme."

"If it was about me, I don't really appreciate having you talk about me to Ino about something I should be talking to her about," I calmly tell him. I don't get irritated with Sasuke much, rarely ever, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to speak my mind and let him know when I am unhappy with him about something.

Sasuke drops my arm and stares out into the breathtaking view of the Forest of Death. The forest actually looks nice whenever you aren't fending for your life in it. "I just didn't like the way she acted. Sakura hardly reacted at all."

"Well, you have to think that one person is my teammate while the other is not," I explain to him. "One knows me better than the other so of course Sakura isn't going to react because she already knows my reasonings for my actions. Plus, if you heard my talk with Naruto, Ino is just a rookie who doesn't have a whole lot of experience."

Sasuke sighs. "I came to that conclusion halfway through my talk with her. That is why I made it brief and dropped the subject. I just wanted to get across her mind that you intentions were to save us and had to think quick on your feet. He was going to die anyways, so why not make it a quick and painless death for him? It makes sense."

Actually, I mainly killed him in fear of him spewing the information out that I had just told him to my friends But, I like your reasoning better, Sasuke.

"You shouldn't have talked to her though," I say to him. "I was planning on doing so. It just wouldn't make sense for me to do so while we were traveling to the Tower."

Sasuke finally looks at me in the eyes. "I know that. I just didn't want her thinking you were somebody that you are not."

I wonder what kind of person Sasuke thinks I am?

I give him a kind smile. "Well, I know you was just looking out for me so thank you for that. Is she mad at me at all? Just kind of want to know before I talk to her."

Sasuke shakes his head. "No. She was just mainly confuse as to why I was bringing up the topic to her and then she didn't speak much after that. Though, she appeared to be deep in thought."

I nod. "Good. At least she isn't mad at me. I just don't want her to think you are fighting my battles for me or something."

Sasuke gives me a strange look. "Do you think I was fighting your battles for you?"

"No, I said Ino. Not me." Why is he acting like that all of a sudden? Mood swing, much?

Sasuke's body tenses up for a moment before spinning around and walking off, heading back inside. I just stare at his back in utter disbelief until he closes the door behind him.

What the hell was that? Why is he so pissy all of a sudden? Did I say something wrong? I don't think I did. I recall talking about Ino, not me. So, why did spin things around to make it about me? He better not be mad that I'm annoyed that he spoke to Ino. And, I'm not even pissed about it or anything! Just annoyed.

I run a hand through my hair. Ughhhh, I think I'm just going to hide in the kitchen for the next three days.

I head inside to talk to Ino.

 **Author's Note: See! I promise I would be updating faster than usual and here I am, less than a week later! Sorry that I kind of ended it like this, but I thought this was a good stopping point since I am going to be updating a lot during my Winter Break. I was going to make this chapter longer and start the first match of the preliminary rounds, but I decided to break it up. But, I PROMISE that the next chapter will have the first two matches. Sasuke just decided he wanted to play drama queen so OC Hinata needs a break between chapters to rest and compose herself before dealing with Ino since she can be overbearing at times. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I aim to post my next one in just a few short days!**

 **Side note: If you are interested in the new Naruto generation, there is this awesome fanfic called The New Dawn by Code Musica. It is about Boruto (Bolt) becoming a rogue Shinobi after his father humiliates him during the Chunin Exams when he was caught cheating. I think it is one of the best fanfics I have read so check it out!**

 **Extra side note: The Boruto anime has been announced to air in April of 2017! Who is just as excited as I am about that? I hope they don't rehash the movie like Dragon Ball Super did.**


	22. Chapter 22: Chunin Exams Arc: Part 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or I would create a Christmas episode and have Guy play Santa for the day.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Chunin Exam Arc: Part Two**

 **Chapter twenty-two**

I open our bedroom door and poke my head in. "Ino? Can I speak with you for a moment?"

"Sure," Ino replies coolly as she steps away from Sakura, Shikamaru, and Choji.

All eyes are on us, except Sasuke who doesn't seem to be in the room, as she walks out of the room with me, the only three appearing slightly confused is Kiba's team. I lead Ino outside to the balcony, since it seems to be the only private place on this hallway for people to talk. A fresh, cool breeze caresses my face as I open the door and Ino closes it behind us.

"What's up?" Ino says casually as she crosses her arms and leans back.

Ugh, I can already foresee this talk not going so well. She's already putting up a "wall" between us by her body language. I thought Sasuke and Naruto said she wasn't mad at me?

I decide to jump straight to the point, anyways. "I didn't tell Sasuke to talk to you. I hope he wasn't rude or anything."

"Oh, I know you didn't. You're not that type of person. I have already witnessed firsthand that you're not afraid to speak your mind when necessary."

Oh, yeah. When I said she was desperate for Sasuke and how she shouldn't be considered a Shinobi in front of a room full of people. Awkward.

I avert my eyes away from Ino, slightly flustered. I'm not the best when it comes to apologizing to people because I hate doing so. "I was going to apologize to you about that towards the end of our talk. I was just annoyed at the time with everybody creating a scene and I just took it out on the next person that spoke. It was out of line of me."

Actually, I snapped at you because you made a bitchy comment towards me and I was tired of your pettiness when it comes to me because you are jealous Sasuke is closer to me then you. But, that doesn't need to be said.

Ino uncrosses her arms and waves a hand. "Don't apologize. I'm over that already."

I blink. "You are?"

Ino narrows her eyes at me. "I mean, the things you said to me weren't very nice and I was angry at first. But, they are not exactly untrue. Maybe I am too crazy over Sasuke-kun and my looks, but I also train a lot and very hard. Maybe it seems like I only train so I can impress him and keep up with him and Naruto, but I have other reasons besides that." Her face softens up. "Plus… I kind of was a little bitchy towards you with my comment I made so I guess you had a reason to say something just as bitchy back to me."

I just stare at her. I can't believe Ino is admitting that I am not totally in the wrong. "Well, if you are over it now then I guess it can be something that we can push past us."

Ino nods. "Agreed."

Well, that subject was squashed pretty fast. Neither of us really had to go out and straight out apologize, thankfully, and she didn't seem upset about my words. Sounds like a win/win to me.

"Now, to get back to the topic at hand," I tell her.

Ino raises her eyebrows. "Oh, yeah. Sasuke-kun didn't say anything mean to me. He was just stern and was mostly scolding me." She bites her lip. "I didn't mean what I said to come out like that. I...I was just surprised and… well…"

Either Ino is just as bad as me when it comes to apologizing, doesn't want to talk about what happened, or cannot fight the right words to describe how she feels because Ino never stumbles around with her speech.

I decide to help her out and fill in the missing blanks. "After thinking it over, I realize that you was not judging me and trying to make me out to be some kind of monster. Like you just said, you were surprised and you were also terrified. We were basically thrown in a life or death situation that last for five days in the middle of a dangerous forest without any proper training or experience to prepare us for this mess. This early in our Shinobi careers, we are not suppose to be taking the Chunin Exams or killing others. We should be completing D-rank missions and developing our skills so we can be ready for the Chunin Exams in another year from now."

I don't care if people like Kakashi or Itachi were Chunin at an incredibly young age. That is just too young in my opinion. Being Chunin at twelve or thirteen years old is still too young! They may be the most powerful person ever, but if they do not have the proper experience, attitude, or training to go out and lead others power does not mean shit. Now, am I saying that I would deny a Chunin promotion if they decide to give me one if I perform well enough? To be honest, I really do not know. If I did, it would contradict what I have been saying to others. If I don't, basically everyone will think I am crazy and my father would be so pissed at me.

Well, shit. This has me really thinking now. Should I just purposely lose during the preliminary matches? My main goal of going along with taking these Exams was so Sasuke doesn't get the Cursed Mark. Since Orochimaru failed to give him one, for now, my goal is complete. The logical part of me says that I should just lose and focus on coming up with a plan to minimize any damage that Orochimaru will cause in the upcoming invasion and to do some intense training. The invasion is more important than a Chunin promotion and I don't think I am ready to become one. However, the Shinobi part of me kind of wants to see how I square up to my competition and go out to try my best to see how far I can get.

Ino sighs, breaking me out of my thoughts. "That's exactly how I feel. Are our sensei's crazy to think we were actually ready for all of this? Yes, we have successfully completed two Exams now. But, I'm still unsure about myself!"

"And, you cannot really say no to not taking the Exams because that means holding Naruto and Sasuke back," I say in understanding. "I felt the same way about Shikamaru and Sakura."

I didn't really feel that way, but I really would if Orochimaru was removed from the picture and this was a typical Chunin Exams. I would be worrying myself to death, but would go along with it anyways in fear of potentially holding my comrades back from a promotion and then they get upset with me.

Ino throws her hands up any the air. "I'm glad someone agrees with me! I spoke privately about this with Kakashi-sensei and he just told me I was worrying too much and will do just fine. The inconsiderate jerk."

Well, at least Ino and I are on good terms. I don't see myself ever becoming best friends with her, because I know she is bound to get on my nerves again in the near future, but at least I know that we are never going to completely hate one another.

I chuckle. "I'm sure he meant well."

Ino huffs. "Yeah, but he's still an inconsiderate jerk." She gives me a small smile. "Thanks for talking to me. Most people think I'm not a reasonable person, but I really am if you aren't an idiot."

Ino, I don't think it is because the other person is an idiot. You just like to hear yourself talk. Loudly.

I smile back at her. "No problem. I just wanted to clear things up. Especially since we are sharing small living quarters with a thousand other people. No need for any awkwardness."

Ino widens her eyes, "I know! This hallway is so tiny! It is terrible!"

I listen to Ino babble on about how much she hates this place as we walk back inside and towards our room. When we enter, everyone seems to be doing their own thing. Shikamaru is sleeping while Choji happily eats on the bunk on top of him. Sakura, Naruto, and Kiba are sitting on one bed conversing, sounding like Naruto and Kiba are having a competition to see who can be the rowdiest despite what I just said to Naruto about being loud. Sasuke is sitting on the next bunk appearing to be listening in to the trio's talk, but he is really lost in his own thoughts. I wonder if he's still in a bad mood? And, Shino is focusing on a bug that is crawling around his index finger. Ino and I walk over towards the trio and Ino plops down beside of Sakura while I stand beside of Kiba.

"Sorry to interrupt," I say to Kiba. "But, I have an urgent question."

"Shoot," Kiba replies as he pets the dog lying beside of him.

"When you were trying to explore the Tower, how did you know that you weren't allowed to do so?" I ask. "You mentioned "they". Who is they?"

Kiba shrugs. "Some strange guy wearing a creepy ass looking mask. It looked a bear. Why?"

"Some guy in a creepy…? Oh! You're talking about an Anbu," I tell him.

"Sure… an Anbu," Kiba says. "He was still creepy. He appeared out of nowhere and gave me a warning."

"So, that would mean they are most likely watching us," I say, mostly to myself.

Kiba answers anyways. "I guess so. Probably with some cameras or whatever."

"I am just wondering because Shikamaru and I need some medical attention and wanted to know the best way to do so," I explain.

Kiba arches an eyebrow. "I figured something was wrong with Shikamaru because of that bandage on his head, but what's wrong with you?"

I carefully hold up my right arm. "I sprained my wrist."

Kiba cringes. "You're mostly a taijutsu user, too. Ouch. That sucks."

I lower my arm. "Yeah, it is a bummer but also a quick fix. But, I'm gonna wake up lazybones now."

I excuse myself from my friends and make my way over to Shikamaru's and Choji's bunk. "What's up, Hinata?" Choji politely asks. I never talked to him much throughout my days in the Academy, but he has always been a kind and friendly fellow.

"Hi Choji. I'm just going to kidnap your friend for a few minutes so we can get ourselves looked at."

Choji gives me a look of concern. "I'm sorry you guys got injured. Shikamaru told me he felt fine, but it is better for him to get checked out just in case."

I nod my head in agreement. "He didn't appear to have anything major wrong with him when I used my Byakugan to scan over him. I just assumed he had a concussion, but he was out for a good bit so it is hard to say."

Choji shrugs. "Shikamaru can be hard headed, anyways. Literally."

I giggle. "I'm sure he's fine, but I'm still dragging him with me. I just don't want to listen to his moaning and groaning as I do."

Choji pops a chip in his mouth. "Good luck."

I bent down and gently shake Shikamaru to wake him. "Psst. Hey. Get up. We need to get your head checked out and my wrist."

Shikamaru waves his arm in response and rolls over onto his side.

I sigh. This is not going to be easy. I get he is exhausted, and that he loves to sleep, but he really needs to get up.

I shake him even harder. "Wake up, Shikamaru. I know you hear me! This will not take long at all."

Shikamaru doesn't stir anymore. Well, I tried to wake him up nicely. I reach out and give Shikamaru a hard push to his back, causing him to roll over completely off the bed. He crashes onto the floor and his eyes snap open. He just grunts and lays there as I walk around the best and stand over him with my hands on my hips. I hear Choji laughing above me as I arch an eyebrow at my teammate.

"Did you really have to do that?" Shikamaru mumbles. "I have a head wound, remember?"

"Obviously, you don't seen so concern about it since you wouldn't get up when I told you to," I shot back.

Shikamaru rolls his eyes, gets up, and brushes himself off. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Let's just hurry up so I can go back to sleep. I'm tired as hell."

"Sounds like a plan to me. I'm right there with you."

I can't wait to finally lay down on a bed and just fall asleep without worrying about an enemy trying to kill us.

We wonder out into the hallway and I wave my good hand around as I look around the ceiling, hoping to catch someone's attention on a hidden camera. They may be able to see us, but they might not be able to hear us so just waving my hand around like a maniac is the best idea. After a couple of minutes of doing this while Shikamaru just yawns and gives me a bored look, a plain looking woman with dark hair and glasses appears in front of us. She appears to be holding a first aid kit at her side. A freaking first aid kit is not going to heal my damn wrist. That better be for looks.

"Are you two hurt?" she asks as she eyes my wrist and Shikamaru's bandages.

I nod. "Yes, but not too bad. I just have a sprained wrist and he hit his head pretty hard, knocking him out for about ten to twelve hours."

"It hasn't hurt or anything since I regained conscious," Shikamaru adds in, shooting me an annoyed looking for speaking for him.

"Well, the only thing I can do for you two at the moment is a simple treatment," the lady informs us.

I frown. "Why is that?"

"While you two have complete the Second Part of the Chunin Exams, it is not entirely over just yet," she replies, adjusting her glasses. "It is only the evening of the second day. You have about three days left."

Shikamaru huffs. "Then, why did you come down to us if you basically can't do anything?"

The woman gives Shikamaru an irritated glance. "Completely healing you two would involve leaving the premises where the Exam is being held to go to the hospital and you two are not allowed to leave until it is finished."

I widen my eyes. Is she freaking serious? What a load of bullshit? Okay, maybe it isn't bullshit because it does make sense. But, it is still bullshit! How the hell am I expected to fairly fight if I decide to try my best during the preliminary matches?

"What a drag," Shikamaru says. "How troublesome. I don't want to be stuck wearing this stupid bandage the next three days."

As he says that, an idea comes to my head. If we make our injuries look worse than they are for the matches, our opponents are most likely to underestimate us. Nobody but Team Seven and Sakura was with us when the injuries occurred, so nobody else should question it.

"Are you able to just make me a makeshift sling?" I ask the woman.

The woman nods. "I am able to do that for you. I was about to recommend I do that, anyways. It isn't good for your wrist to not let it sit in one spot. Until you get it properly treated, it can at least try to heal on its own."

Great! A sling will give everyone the impression that I broke my arm or something and a bandage or two on Shikamaru's head will make them think he has some severe trauma going on. The element of surprise will be on our side. A true ambush. However, I will have to tell a little white lie to Naruto and them that the woman said I may have broken my wrist until the matches are over.

The woman quickly performs something she calls a _Diagnostic Jutsu_ one me and Shikamaru and determined that I, indeed, do have a sprained wrist while Shikamaru has a mild concussion. She also informs me that if I put too much strain on my right hand that it will break. Great, I get to potentially fight one-handed. Why didn't I pick up any medical jutsus over the years? After repatching Shikamaru's head and making a makeshift sling for me, we thank her and she goes away. We walk back into the room and instantly all eyes are on my sling.

"H-Hinata-chan! Why are you wearing that thing?" Naruto questions as he rushes over towards me to examine it.

"The woman checking us out said she thinks I actually have a broken wrist instead of a sprained wrist," I fib. Out of the corner of my eyes, I see Shikamaru shift his eyes over to me but keeps quiet. "It doesn't feel like a broken wrist, but I can't argue with medic." I quickly explain to him why we aren't allowed to get a full treatment done on us.

"Well, that's just stupid! You're hurt!" Naruto protests.

I shrug with my free arm. "I will be fine. It's only a few days."

* * *

The rest of the day is pretty uneventful. We all ate a quick dinner and talked a bit about our adventures leading up to the Tower. Our team and Team Seven left out anything related to Orochimaru while Kiba's team just briefly mentions about their run in with Gaara and his siblings in whispers. It sounded like a terrifying experience. After that, we all fall asleep around fairly early from exhaustion and boredom. For me, I mostly fell asleep early because I am still feeling the side effects of Dosu's jutsu. The next morning I am the first to wake up so I decide to go out onto the balcony to get some fresh air, and to determine what time it is since none of the rooms seem to have windows. As I step out, I see that the sun is halfway rising so it is still early in the morning. Probably around six-thirty or so. I spend the next few minutes or so enjoying the peace and quiet as I watch the sun rise beyond the treeline. My alone time is disturbed when I hear the door open behind me.

"You're in my spot," a low voice says to me.

I start to turn around. "I don't-" _see your name written anywhere_ was what I was going to playfully say until I realize who I am now facing.

Gaara.

He just blankly stares at me with his arms crossed. Shit! I hope he isn't pissed. I wouldn't be on a slight edge around now if he wasn't going through the bloodthirsty killing stage of his life.

I quickly sidestep several paces and he walks forward and stares out into the horizon, not acknowledging me anymore. He claims I was in his spot. Has he been coming out here often? This is my first time seeing him. You would think I would feel scared and want to get out of his way since I know what he is capable of doing without remorse. However, I'm a little curious to see what would happen if I attempt to make small talk with him. He eventually becomes a better guy, thanks to Naruto, and it wouldn't be so bad to have a near future Kage as a friend.

"I haven't seen you around since the Chunin Exams started," I say, probably a little to bravely. Gaara still doesn't look at me. "My name is Hinata!"

As I leave an opportunity where a normal person would introduce themselves, Gaara just flickers his eyes over towards me instead. I wonder what he is thinking right now? Maybe I have tested the waters long enough and need to retreat.

"Ah, you must have came out here for some alone time and here I am bothering you," I say to him. I take a step backwards and he turns his head slightly more to maintain eye contact with me. "Well, it was nice meeting you. I will go back inside now. Enjoy the view!" I give him a small wave and bolt back inside before he can react.

I wonder if I just did something stupid and I have a death wish now.

I take a step forward to head back to bed when the bedroom door swings open and a sleepy looking Kiba comes walking out. He starts towards the bathroom when he senses my presence and quickly whirls around, now awake.

He takes a deep breathe when he notices me. "Oh! It's only you. Don't startle me like that!"

I put a finger to my lips. "Will you keep your voice down? It is still early in the morning. People are sleeping."

Kiba doesn't seem to care, but he walks towards me anyways so we can have a more civil like conversation. "Is it still early? Have you been outside?"

I nod. "Yeah. Just for a few minutes for some fresh air."

Kiba scrunches up his nose. "Being in a small space with a bunch of different smells isn't going so well with my nose. People like Naruto have a strange smell to them."

Probably because of the fox living inside of him.

"What do I smell like?" I ask, curious.

"Well, right now, you smell like the forest," Kiba replies. Oh, yeah. I do need to rinse off in the shower. I haven't done that yet. "But, you typically smell pretty good. Kind of like a lavender smell."

"Dang, your nose is good," I tell him. "That's the kind of smell I have in my bath products at home."

"Kinda freaking how sharp it is, huh?" Kiba says, rubbing his nose. "Though, I think I'm going to follow your lead and step outside for a second before I take a piss. I really do need to clear my nose up."

He tries to walk around me, but I block his path. "Um, I don't think you should go out there."

"Why not?" Kiba asks. He sniffs the air and then pulls me forward away from the door. "Were you just out there with _him_? He's dangerous, Hinata!"

"Only for a couple of minutes," I admit. "I was out there for awhile before he came out there. He didn't do anything to me though. He basically ignored when I tried to make small talk with him."

Kiba widen his eyes. "I told you about him yesterday! He's a monster! You… Scratch that. We all need to stay away from him."

"I wouldn't say he's a monster," I defend Gaara. I mean, I killed somebody in the Forest of Death, too. I just didn't enjoy it like he did, or killed my opponent as gruesome as he did. Actually, maybe I shouldn't have said that to Kiba… He doesn't know what I know about Gaara.

Kiba grits his teeth. "Not a monster? Are you kidding me? He-"

"He will hear you if you continue to talk this loud so close to the door," I interrupt. "I spoke without thinking. My bad. I haven't really met the guy yet so I try not to judge others without getting to know them."

Kiba lets go of my arm and rolls his eyes. "That kind of ignorance will get you into trouble one day. You can't always be so kind and trusting of others."

I narrow my eyes. Who does Kiba think he is? Hypocrite. "Well, your loud mouth is going to get you into trouble one day so you have no room to lecture me."

Kiba narrows his eyes back at me. "Hey, there is no need for an attitude. I'm just telling ya."

"There was no attitude involved. I was just telling ya," I mimicked.

Damn, Kiba is such a hypocritical idiot. Trying to tell me how my flaws are going to get me into trouble one day. He really needs to look at himself in a mirror!

Kiba snorts. "See? There it is again."

"I will give you an attitude if you really want me to, Kiba."

"I dare you, Hinata."

We glare at each other.

Wow, I never express when I'm angry with others right off the bat. I usually let it build up since I consider myself a pretty patient person and I hate hurting other people's feelings, unless they deserve it. Kiba just knows how to rub people the wrong way without realizing it.

"Is there something wrong?" a voice behind Kiba asks.

Kiba turns around and I step forward to see who the voice belongs to and my face brightens up when I see Neji standing there with Lee and Tenten standing behind him. Have they heard our whole argument? I wonder how low they have been there?

Kiba glances over at me and then back at Neji. "Nothing that involves you. We are just having a disagreement."

Neji's eyebrow twitches. "Is he bothering you, Hinata?"

"I'm fine. He's harmless," I reply, waving my good hand.

Kiba huffs at my comment and stalks off to the bathroom. I wonder if he is upset that our argument was disrupted? He seems to like starting them when he is bored.

"I assume you guys are just now getting here?" I say to him, looking at the trio up and down. "You guys don't look like you've been in the forest, fending for your lives, for three days."

"You do," Neji says back, implying about my sling. "Is it broken? What happened?"

Shouldn't you know from Lee since he spied on us during some of our fight with the Oto Shinobi?

"I will tell you later," I reply. "The medic that checked me thinks it is a broken wrist."

"Well, at least you and your team was able to complete the Exam," Lee says to me, always looking on the bright side of things. "It could be a lot worse!"

Side note: I wonder if he is still mad at me from before when he misunderstood me.

"Which leads me to ask is your team and that mutt's team the only teams here?" Neji asks.

I shake my head. "No. Excluding you guys, there are four teams total. Three of those teams are all of us rookies and a team from Suna."

Neji arches an eyebrow in surprise as Tenten and Lee widen their eyes. "Seriously? All you rookies made it?" Tenten asks. "You guys are better than I thought."

Oh, shut up, Tenten. You're only a year older than us. You're not that much skilled and experienced than we are.

* * *

As yesterday, the rest of the day is pretty uneventful. We pretty much just conversed with one another, ate dinner, and went to sleep. In fact, the next two days is a rinse and repeat. Nothing exciting happened. I didn't see Gaara anymore. No other team showed up. Kiba decides to ignore me since he is mad at me while Sasuke doesn't speak to me much either, but hovers around. When I mean hovering around me, I mean whenever we would group up to talk or eat, he would sit near me but not too close to me. I felt like he's playing shadow with me. I would be the inner adult that I am and ask him what is wrong, but I'm already annoyed with Kiba so I'm going to be petty and let Sasuke come to me.

On the positive side, my side effects completely went away by the morning of the fourth day. Yippie!

On the afternoon of the fifth day, we were lead up to one of the higher floors of the Tower and into a wide room with the other Genin. Standing in front of us is the Exam proctors, our squad leaders, and the Hokage. As I look around the room, I see that no one new has showed up since it is the last day. Not even Kabuto's team. Which, I find odd because he and his team are capable enough to take two scrolls even if we managed to take one of theirs. I wonder if this is a part of Orochimaru's plans since they had to be changed because we dismantled Dosu's team and prevented Sasuke's from getting the Cursed Mark, While those two things are a plus, a negative is not knowing what is going to happen now. Is the invasion still on? Could the invasion be off, but a plan to kidnap Sasuke is in place? Or maybe they are wanting to kidnap Sasuke in the craziness of the invasion!

I shake my heads to push these worries to the back of my mind as I listen to the Hokage speak. Like in the anime/manga, he talks about the true purpose of the exams, which makes sense to me because that just make Konoha look a lot better if the village can prove that it is producing strong Shinobi. That means good business from other villages to help keep Konoha's economy steady by receiving missions. Too bad it is at the stake of our lives, though we entered this line of duty at our own risk.

After the Hokage spoke, Hayate Gekkō dramatically appears out of nowhere and starts to inform all of us that there is going to be a preliminary round before the Third Exam, like I expected this whole time. As the announcement is being given out, in between coughing fits, there is a mixture of confusion and unhappiness going on throughout the crowd. Nobody thought it is fair that we have to partake in a preliminary round after we all just completed the Second Exam. Why would we be wasting anybody's time during the Third Exam if we were good enough to get through the first two? Because people are going to be more interested in seeing people like Sasuke, Neji, or Gaara fight because they are talented for a bunch of Genin.

"The first preliminary match is going to start now!" Hayate tells everybody, then coughs. "Since there are fifteen of you left, there will be seven matches and one person who is automatically pardoned for the Third Exam." Hmmm, really? How is that fair? What if someone like Choji ends up being the person pardoned, no offense to the guy. "The winners of these one on one matches will move on to the Third Exam. During these matches, there are no rules. You will only lose if you die, are unable to fight, or forfeit the match. However, I will step in at anytime if I can see there is going to be a clear winner. No need to be dragging on a fight. Now… ahem… let's see who will be fighting in the first match."

"Open the panel," Anko speaks into her microphone behind Hayate.

A wall in the left corner of the room suddenly opens up to reveal a blank screen. I gulp and clench my fist. As long as I don't have to fight any of the Sand Siblings or Neji, I'm fine. Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro are way out of my league and I would rather not fight my own cousin. I don't think I will be fighting my own teammates, since that would be unusual.

Names begin to flash across the screen as everyone waits in anticipation to find out who will be fighting first. Finally, two names appear on the board and I sigh in relief when I see it is not mine. I did not want to fight first.

 **Uchiha Sasuke**

 **Vs**

 **Inuzuka Kiba**

Sasuke vs Kiba? That's an interesting way to start off the matches. Since Kabuto's and Dosu team didn't complete the Second Exam, I am not surprised to see Sasuke fighting Kiba since he fought Yoroi before. In fact, I wonder if this is going to affect all the original matchups. Naruto fought Kiba before, so I wonder who he will fight now? I hope it isn't me. I don't want to fight my friends.

"It looks like the first match is going to be… ahem... Uchiha Sasuke vs Inuzuka Kiba," Hayate tells everyone. "The two competitors will stay down here while the rest of you head upstairs to observe the fight."

"Get him, Sasuke-kun!" Ino hollers.

"Kick his ass, Sasuke!" Naruto cheers.

I give Sasuke a thumbs up. "Good luck!"

Sasuke nods. "Thanks."

Shit, there goes my plan of not speaking to him first.

All the Konoha Shinobi make their way up the right staircase while Gaara's team and sensei took the left staircase. As we do so, Sasuke and Kiba stand in front of one another and start to prepare for the upcoming fight.

"I've been waiting for the day to creme you, Sasuke!" Kiba trash talks as he pets Akamaru's head, who is zipped up in Kiba's jacket. "Akamaru and I are going to show you how hard we've been training!"

Sasuke smirks. "You're going to fight me with your mutt? I'm not surprised. I can handle anything you throw at me, Kiba."

Kiba smirks back. "We'll see about that."

As soon as all of us has made it up the stairs and standing in a decent spot to watch the match, Hayate raises up hand. "Let the first match between Uchiha Sasuke and Inuzuka Kiba begin!" He waves his hand down and takes a few steps back.

Sasuke gets into an offensive stance and stares down Kiba as the dogboy sets Akamaru down and places his fingers together. " _Ninja Art of Beast Mimicry: All-Fours Jutsu!"_

Sasuke's eyes widen as a blue aura of chakra begins to rise from Kiba's body as his teeth starts to grow sharper, looking more like canine teeth, his nails starts to grow longer, and his eyes begin to look wild as his pupils turn to slits. His appearance has become more feral-like. Kiba gets on all fours and shoots towards Sasuke at a blinding speed, aiming to elbow Sasuke in the gut. Sasuke jumps out of the way in time, but Kiba spins around, pushes off his feet, and headbutts Sasuke. Sasuke skids backwards on his feet as he holds on to his head, a bruise already forming.

"Hmmm, not bad," Sasuke says to Kiba.

"Not bad? I'm just getting started!" Kiba shouts. He looks over at Akamaru. "Come on, boy. Let's get 'em!"

Akamaru barks and they both charge after Sasuke. Sasuke jumps backwards and his eyes shine red from activating his Sharingan. That should help him predict Kiba's moves before he is able to land them if Sasuke can keep up with Kiba's sudden speed. As Kiba runs towards Sasuke, he pulls out a handful of smoke bombs and tosses them onto the ground. Damn! Smoke bombs? Will Sasuke's Sharingan be able to locate Kiba's chakra presence easily now? The smoke begins to fill the arena, making the fight hard to watch. Because of that, I switch on my Byakugan to get a better look. I see Sasuke with a kunai in his hand and his arms crossed in front of him to shield his face and body from as he cautiously glances around for Kiba and Akamaru.

I see Akamaru standing at the edge of the smoke cloud and Kiba circling Sasuke for a few laps, like a wolf ready to pounce on its prey. He rushes towards Sasuke and throws a punch towards Sasuke's face. Sasuke avoids it just in time and blocks the next punch that Kiba throws. Kiba jumps back around to hit Sasuke with a roundhouse kick, but Sasuke backflips away and begins to runs out out of the smoke cloud to see better. Just as he is about to reach the edge, Akamaru jumps out of nowhere and tackles him in the chest. Sasuke stumbles around to gain his balance, but is knocked down to the floor from a sudden kick to the back from Kiba.

I knew Kiba was good, but not this good! Come on, Sasuke! Get yourself together!

Sasuke grits his teeth and leaps into the air, even though he still trapped in the smoke cloud. He begins to spin around in mid-air as he weaves some handsigns. " _Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu_!" Multiple fireballs spit out of his mouth and he hurls a shuriken into each one as the fireballs begin to rain.

Ah, I see what he is doing. If he can't see through the smoke then might as well perform a technique that can attack in all directions. It is bound to strike one of them since Kiba and Akamaru can't exactly see through the smoke that well either.

As expected, a fireball grazes Kiba's shoulder and he howls and rolls out of the way of the others while Akamaru runs around to avoid them. As the fireballs land onto the ground, they created their own smoke and it mixes in with the other smoke to create an even thicker wall of dark fog. This doesn't bother Sasuke as he spurts out another round of fireballs and then takes the opportunity to escape out of the smoke cloud as Kiba and Akamaru evades the falling balls of fire. Sasuke makes his way out of the smoke and Akamaru notices him, but it is too late. Sasuke kicks the puppy aside and quickly gains a fair amount of distance away from the smoke. He stands there to catch his breathe as he watches the last of the fire fizzle away and the smoke slowly disperse until it is completely gone, revealing a barely harmed Kiba and Akamaru. Akamaru seems to be fine, despite being kicked by Sasuke, while Kiba's shoulder appears to be burnt and cut open from the hidden shuriken, but otherwise fine.

"I think we should stop going easy on him, Akamaru," Kiba says. He takes a soldier pill out of his pocket and flicks it over to the dog. "Take this, boy."

Akamaru catches the pill in his mouth and swallows it. Instantly, he begins to growl as his body starts to shake and his fur turns blood red. Everything about him grow slightly in size as his growl becomes deeper.

"What the hell did Kiba just feed him?" I hear Naruto ask his sensei beside of me. "The dog's fur is growing red and everything!"

"It is called a Military Rations Pill," Kakashi explains. "It replenishes and enhances one's chakra while also nourishing the body. These pills are usually taken during wars for it allows a Shinobi to fight for three days and three nights without rest. The downside to taking the pill is that it will leave your body to the point of exhaustion once the effects go away."

"Wow, sounds cool," Naruto says.

"Cool? It sounds like it can totally destroy your body!" Ino tells him."

I ignore their comments and focus my attention back on Sasuke's fight. Kiba pops a pill into his own mouth and I could see an increased flow within his chakra pathways. His features become even more feral as a new burst of energy radiates from his body. Uh oh. This is not good at all.

"Let's go, Akamaru!" Kiba literally growls and he gets back down on all fours as Akamaru hops onto his back. " _Imitation Beast Ninja Art: Beast Human Clone_!"

Akamaru transforms into an exact replicate of Kiba and then both growl ferociously at Sasuke. Sasuke clenches his jaw and prepares himself as Akamaru hops off of his master's back and they both take off after him. Sasuke hurls a handful of shuriken towards the wild boys, but they easily leap out of the way and towards Sasuke. The both swipe at him, but Sasuke jumps to the side and throws a combination of punches and kicks towards the two. They both spring out of the way and continue after Sasuke as he tries his best to not find himself on the receiving end of Kiba's and Akamaru's claws. They seem to be overpowering him with speed as it seems like Sasuke is only able to dodge their attacks, unable to counter them.

Kiba and Akamaru regroup and go after Sasuke once more, leaning their bodies sideways as they run. " _Man-Beast Ultimate Taijutsu: Fang Over Fang_!"

The two of them start spinning their bodies at incredible speeds until they are almost tornado like. They soar through the air and crash into the ground as they start destroying it just to attack Sasuke. Sasuke is able to dodge's Akamaru attack, but Kiba swiftly collides into the boy and he is thrown into the air. Kiba and Akamaru both shoot upwards and attack Sasuke once more and he coughs up some blood.

Why is he just allowing Kiba and Akamaru to attack him? Sasuke can do better than this! Is Kiba really too fast for Sasuke to keep up? Lee is way faster than Kiba, but Kiba is still very quick on his feet.

Kiba and Akamaru stop spinning and land on their feed to catch their breaths as Sasuke falls to the ground.

"Sasuke-kun!" Ino shouts.

Sasuke pushes himself upwards and wipes the blood from his lip. "I must admit, you have some good moves, Kiba."

"Pretty impressive, huh?" Kiba growls, wiping his nose.

Sasuke snorts. "I said good, not impressive. I've seen better."

Kiba narrows his eyes. "Why you little… Let's finish him off, Akamaru!"

Kiba and Akamaru beings to spin after Sasuke again and he leaps into the air again, causing the duo to shoot up towards him. "However, I'm not falling for the same attack twice!" Sasuke shouts as he performs a backflip in midair to avoid their attack once more.

I grip onto the railing, my body filling with excitement. I knew Sasuke was up to something. I think he was purposely allowing Kiba and Akamaru to attack them so he can remember their moves with his Sharingan so he can quickly analyze all of its weaknesses to come up with a proper way to avoid getting attacked. Smart thinking!

Sasuke lands on the ground and Kiba stops spinning like a top long enough to throw down some more smoke bombs before continuing his twisting and turning. I see as a smirk dances across Sasuke face and he leaps into the air once and weaves handsigns for his signature _Fire Style: FireBall Jutsu_ , concentrating more chakra than usual into it to create a huge fireball. The fireball crashes into the smoke cloud and onto the ground, causing an explosion. A small shockwave from the aftermath shoots outwards, knocking Akamaru and Kiba off course and disrupting their jutsu. They both collide to one another and fall to the ground as the smoke clears up once more.

As Sasuke lands on the ground, he hurls four shurikens attached to some wire towards the two boys. Kiba and Akamaru quickly notice the rapidly approaching weapons and obviously leap out of the way, not seeing the the translucent strings. Like a puppeteer, Sasuke manipulates the wire with his fingers. Two of the shurikens directed themselves into Kiba's and Akamaru's shoulder while the other two shuriken begin to wrap itself around their bodies. Before they have the chance to break free from the wires, Sasuke puts the threads in his mouth and begins weaving hand signs for his _Fire Style: Dragon Fire Jutsu._ A breathe of fire jets out of his mouth and onto the wires, using it as a conductor. Kiba's and Akamaru's eyes widen as the fire heads straight towards them. Kiba quickly breaks free at the last second and leaps to the side as his dog is engulfed in the flames.

"Akamaru!" Kiba shouts as stares at his companion.

The flames causes Akamaru to poof back to his original self and he begins to roll around on the ground until the fire sizzles away. The split second that Kiba is focusing on Akamaru, Sasuke rushes over to Kiba, drops down to the ground, and kicks Kiba into the air. Nearby, I hear Lee and Guy loudly gasp in surprise. Sasuke jumps into the air to join Kiba. As he does so, Sasuke spins around and slams his fist into Kiba's gut, causing him to shoot towards the ground. However, Sasuke isn't that nice enough to allow him to land with only a punch and follows up with a hard kick to the chest.

" _Lion's Barrage_!" Sasuke shouts as his kick makes contact with Kiba.

Kiba crashes to the ground, hard, and Sasuke falls shortly after. He lands on his feet, but soon drops to his knees from sudden fatigue of that last attack. Sasuke starts huffing as Hayate drops down to check on both Kiba and Akamaru as I smile and deactivate my Byakugan, already knowing the results. They are knocked out cold. The Special Jonin rises up and points at Sasuke.

"The winner of the first match is Uchiha Sasuke!"

The room erupts in a roar of cheers because of me, Sakura, Ino, and Naruto.

"Alright, Sasuke! You totally kicked his ass!" Naruto cheers.

"I knew you could handle him this whole time!" Ino cheers.

"Good job, Sasuke!" I cheer.

"Woohoo, yeah!" Sakura cheers.

I receive a disapproving look from Neji and an annoyed look from Shikamaru since he is standing right beside of us and we were yelling in his ear. Oops. My bad. On the other side of Team Guy, I see a disappointed looking Team Eight.

Sasuke smirks and nods in content and starts to slowly make his way up the stairs, body still sore. A couple of medics enter the room with an empty stretcher and quickly leaves with the stretcher occupied by Kiba and Akamaru.

"Way to go, Sasuke," Kakashi says. "I didn't doubt you for a second."

Sasuke squints his eyes at his squad leader. "Are you being sarcastic?"

"Nooo, never," Kakashi replies, shaking his head.

Sasuke rolls his eyes, but thanks Kakashi and leans against the railing to rest. Or at least tries to as Lee zooms over to Sasuke and get within his personal space. "Tell me! How did you manage to make your technique similar to mine just from briefly witnessing it a short while ago?"

Sasuke just awkwardly raises an eyebrow in response because of Lee's abruptness. "Lee! Let him rest and come over here and enjoy the next fight with me!" Guy scolds.

Lee gives Sasuke a determined look, but he obeys his sensei and walks back over towards him.

Damn, Lee is going to give me a panic attack one of these days.

The screen begins to make noise as name start to flicker quickly across it again and we all pull our focus towards it. Please don't let me fight next. Please don't let me fight next.

 **Nara Shikamaru**

 **Vs**

 **Akimichi Choji**

Yay! I'm not going next. But, ouch. That's a bad matchup. These guys have been close friends since they were like four. This is not going to be fun for either of them. Though, I find it strange that Shikamaru is not fighting a girl. That seemed to be the running rag in the anime/manga. Kin… Temari… that redheaded Oto Shinobi...

As the names pop up on the screen, Shikamaru sucks in his breathe and Choji gives his friend a worried look. From my experience with Choji, he is a very gentle person who hates having to spar his friends since he could possibly hurt them with his extraordinary strength. If he truly tries, I wonder how much of a fight he can give Shikamaru. This could be interesting to watch.

I rest my hand on my teammate's shoulder. "I'm sorry for the matchup, but good luck and try your best."

"Yeah. We are all rooting for you," Sakura tells him.

Shikamaru nods and he and Choji make their way onto the battle arena. They give each other a sad look. "I would have never guessed I would be fighting you, Choji," Shikamaru says, scratching the back of his head.

Choji nods. "Yeah. I really wanted the both of us to be in the finals."

Shikamaru shrugs. "So did I. But, the harm is already done and I am warning you now, Choji. I am not going easy on you. From all the crap I had to put up with in that damn forest, my goal is to make to the finals."

Damn, Shikamaru sounds motivated. That's rare. A motivated Shikamaru means a dangerous Shikamaru.

Choji shakes his head. "I didn't expect you to. I don't like it, but I'm not holding back on you either, Shikamaru!"

Hayate raises up his hand. "Let the second match between Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Choji begin!" He waves down his hand.

Choji immediately claps his hands together. " _Expansion Jutsu_!"

Choji's body begins to expand and grow rounder as he also starts to grow taller. Shikamaru takes a few steps back and eyes Choji carefully. Hopefully, he is already coming up with a plan to defeat the guy. Choji recoils his head, arms, and legs into his shirt and begins to rapidly spin.

" _Human Boulder_!"

Choji rolls towards his best friend as Shikamaru makes some handsigns and starts burrowing under the floor to avoid Choji's attack. Choji lands in the small hold that Shikamaru just created and he makes himself grow smaller to get himself out of it as Shikamaru pops up from the ground a few feet behind him. Choji turns around, expands outward again, and extends out his left arm.

" _Partial Expansion Jutsu_!"

His arm grows about ten feet longer in size and he forms his hand into a fist and sweeps his arm across the arena to cover a wide range. Shikamaru widens his eyes and jumps back into the hole where he just came from. Before Shikamaru can get too far, Choji's reaches into the hole and picks up Shikamaru. He throws him onto the ground and forms his hand into a fist against to bash him. He brings his fist down, but Shikamaru rolls out of the way and hurls a kunai. Choji bats the kunai away with his enlarged arm as if it were a small bug. At the same time, Shikamaru forms his hand into the Rat sign and his shadow starts stretching towards Choji. The boy jumps a few spaces backwards until the shadow stops, appearing to have reached its limit.

Shikamaru mumbles something underneath his breath and retracts his shadow. He pulls out another kunai, this time one with an explosive tag attached to it, and hurls it towards Choji. Choji raises his arm up to defend himself, but the kunai lands half ways in between Choji and Shikamaru. Shikamaru lifts up two fingers and the kunai creates a small explosion, impairing Choji's view of Shikamaru and vice versa. Choji raises an eyebrow in confusion and quickly blows away the smoke by waving his enlarged hands within it. It fades up and he sees Shikamaru just standing with an annoyed look on his face.

"You wasn't supposed to do that," Shikamaru tells Choji.

"I know how you are, Shikamaru," Choji says. "You were planning something and was using that explosion as a quick distraction and cover up."

Shikamaru sighs and closes his eyes. "You caught me. I was trying to cover my plan up." He opens his eyes. "And, it is completed."

Choji gives Shikamaru a puzzle look. "What? How?"

Shikamaru quickly forms the Rat sign again and Choji prepares to get out of the way, but is suddenly frozen in his spot. "I-I can't move!" Choji exclaims. "When did you get me? I easily dodged your shadow!"

"The holes that we are both standing in front of, you know the ones I created?" Shikamaru begins. "They connect. During the explosion, everyone's focus was on that and I quickly took the opportunity to channel my shadow underground. The explosion was so you couldn't see what I was doing and try to stop me. Besides my teammates, you pretty much know how I think and fight so I had to end this match quickly before it drug on and you won." He shrugs, causing Choji to do the same. "Sorry, buddy."

"Alright, Shikamaru!" Sakura shouts.

"He never ceases to amaze me," I say. He's such a lazy genius. He had this planned from the start.

"I already know that you are able to cancel your jutsu and make your arm small again since my shadows only control your body and not your chakra," Shikamaru continues. He splits a small part of his shadow and manipulated it to slither into Choji's weapon pocket and pulled out an unopened bag of chips. Wait… a bag of chips? Not a weapon? "Which is why I'm going to take this and force you to watch me eat it all unless you forfeit the match."

I sweatdrop. I guess a bonus to fighting Choji is that Shikamaru already knows his weaknesses and can use it against him.

Choji gives Shikamaru a horrifying look. "You can't do that! Those are my last bag of chips! I was saving those as a celebratory snack for when the Second Exam was officially over!"

Shikamaru starts to retract the small strip of shadow that is holding the bag of chips hostage. "You can have them back if you just give up," he teases.

Choji struggles with all of his might to breakout of Shikamaru's control. I gasp as I notice Shikamaru start to quiver as he struggles as well to stay in control. Luckily, Choji's main focus is on his bag of chips and and he sighes and stops attempting to move. Thank goodness. Choji could've of possible broken out of Shikamaru's control if he gave himself a few more seconds.

"Fine," Choji mumbles, lowering his eyes. "Shikamaru, hold up my arm." Shikamaru complies and holds up his friend's arm. "I, Akimichi Choji, would like to say that I…"

Yes! Shikamaru's has this one in the bag.

Choji's eyes flicker up. "... I WANT MY BAG OF CHIPS BACK!"

Choji starts exerting all his strength and suddenly breaks free of Shikamaru's control. The connection breaks and all shadow retreat back to Shikamaru.

"What the hell?!" I shout, loudly. All eyes are suddenly on me as I slap my hands over my mouth. Shit, that slipped out by accident. I blame Choji.

Seriously, though. I know Choji is strong, but did he really just gain a newfound motivation just so he can have his chips back?!

"Unreal! How did he break free?" Sakura questions.

Shikamaru widens his eyes in surprise and take a step backwards. "C-Choji?"

Choji glares at the bag of chips that are now resting in Shikamaru's hands and he points at it. "GIVE THOSE BACK! _HUMAN BOULDER!"_

Choji curls up into a ball again and rolls after Shikamaru at an alarming rate. Shikamaru narrows his eyebrows and hurls the chips away from him. They land a good distances away and Choji abruptly changes courses and heads straight towards the chips. As he does, Shikamaru begins to run after Choji. Choji makes it to his chips and stops rolling to pick them up. He is about to put them back in his weapons pouch, safe and sound, when Shikamaru leaps into the air and punches him in the back of the head. Shikamaru just a few spaces back as Choji drops the back of chips, stumbles forward, and then whirls around to attack Shikamaru himself when he stops in mid-punch. During those brief two seconds of stumbling around and then spinning around, Shikamaru had already controlled two shadows to hold two explosive tags. One in Choji's face, the other right beside of Choji's chips.

"Like I mentioned before, give up now if you want those chips," Shikamaru suggests. "I will detonate that tag."

Choji bites his lip and looks down at his pride and joy and then back at Shikamaru. I can tell he is trying to think of a way to get out of this situation. If he moves to grab the chips, he will get hurt by the explosive. If he doesn't give up, the chips will become nothing but ashes. Choji sighs and raises up both of his hands as Sakura and I hold in our breathes.

Is he really going to give up this time?

"I, Akimichi Choji, would like to say that I forfeit this match."

We both sigh in relief as Shikamaru smirks and cancels his jutsu. Choji swoops down to grab his bag of chips before anyone else can threaten harm on them.

Hayate gives Choji a strange look before pointing at Shikamaru. "The winner of the second match is Nara Shikamaru!"

"Alright, Shikamaru!" Sakura and I both shout at the same time.

"I'm surprised he even won," Naruto comments. "He's usually not this motivated."

"You would be surprised at what Shikamaru is capable of doing," Asuma says to the blonde.

Naruto just crosses his arms in response and begins to ponder at all the things that Shikamaru could be capable of doing besides sleeping and watching clouds.

Choji cancels out his jutsu and his limbs return to normal again. Shikamaru walks over to Choji and gives him a sheepish smile. "I hope you aren't mad at me for taking away your food. I know that's a big no-no for you."

Choji laughs. "I forgive you, Shikamaru. It was smart for you to do so."

The two best friends make their way upstairs to join the rest of us.

Asuma arches an eyebrow at his subordinate. "That was a rather odd strategy you used. But, it worked so I am impressed. A job well done."

"Thanks," Shikamaru says. "I didn't like doing it. But, I knew the quicker I ended the fight the quicker I could come back up here and do nothing."

I shift my eyes over to him. "Yeah, sure. We will all pretend that is the real reason."

"Tch. Shouldn't you be telling me good job or whatever instead of making snide remarks at me."

I shrug. "I already told you good luck before the match. Now, I have to tell you good job? Sounds like a drag."

Behind me, I hear Sakura and Ino laughing as Naruto covers his mouth and Sasuke attempts to hide a grin. Shikamaru just rolls his eyes. "Now, you're stealing my catchphrases? That's more of a drag."

I am open my mouth to say something else witty when the screen starts to make noise again, alarming us that the names for the third match are about to be chosen.

Ehhh, I am sort of ready to fight now. All my nerves are gone.

Two names flash on the board and I frown. Is this even a fair matchup?

 **Uzumaki Naruto**

 **Vs**

 **Kankuro.**

 **Author's Note: Merry Christmas everyone! Happy Holidays to everyone else that doesn't celebrate Christmas! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and the first two matches. The next chapter will consist of the rest of the matches and I plan on having that post within two days from now so you better hurry up and ready this chapter! I would really like to hear your thoughts on the matches and what you thought of the matchups so far.**


	23. Chapter 23: Chunin Exams Arc: Part 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Lee would've gone against Sasuke or Neji.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Chunin Exam Arc: Part Two**

 **Chapter twenty-three**

Naruto pumps his fist into the air. "Alright! Finally, it's mine turn!"

He hops up onto the railing to jump into the arena when I grab his shoulder. "Wait, Naruto."

He turns his head and gives me a confused look. "What's up, Hinata?"

I lean into his ear. "This guy is not going to be easy to beat. You see that thing on his back?"

Naruto shrugs. "Yeah. What about it?"

"There is something inside of it," I say. "I think he might use it as a weapon."

I can't say too much without totally revealing everything about Kankuro that I should not know as of right now. Plus, I'm not wasting chakra just to pretend I'm scoping out Kankuro with my Byakugan just to help out Naruto. Even though it isn't considered cheating, it is in my book. At least by doing this, Naruto can be more aware and careful.

Naruto grins. "Oh, okay. Thanks! But, don't worry about me. I'll have this guy laying on his back in ten seconds flat before he can whatever weapons he is hiding."

"If you lovebirds are done whispering to one another, come down here so we can fight already!" Kankuro calls out from below.

I roll my eyes as Naruto jumps down and points at Kankuro. "This is going to be payback for being mean to Konohamaru!"

Kankuro waves his hand. "Yeah, yeah. I'm kind of disappointed that I got paired up with you. This match isn't going to last long."

Naruto smirks. "Heh, you won't be saying those words when I'm through with you."

Hayate glances at the two of them, coughs, and raises up his hand. "Let the third match between Uzumaki Naruto and Kankuro begin!"

Naruto crosses his fingers together. " _Shadow Clone Jutsu_!" Four Shadow clones appear, two on each side of him.

Kankuro smirks. "Shadow Clones or regular clones. You're still not going to beat me."

Naruto doesn't say anything as he and his Shadow Clones run around Kankuro to surround the puppeteer. Kankuro keeps himself on the defensive as he keeps turning his head around. Suddenly, all five Narutos yells out a battle cry and they all charge towards Kankuro. Kankuro spins around to throw a kick at the nearest Naruto. It makes contact and the boy grabs his gut and disappears into smoke. Kankuro growls and attacks the next two Narutos by grabbing them by the arms and smacking their bodies into one another. As Kankuro is focusing on watching the two blondes fall to the ground and poof away, he doesn't notice the Naruo creeping up behind him.

"Kankuro!" Temari shouts. "Behind you!"

Grr, shut up, cheater!

Kankuro whirls around and widens his eyes as he sees how close this Naruto was to sneaking up on him. The Naruto freezes on the spot and waves before Kankuro scowls and swipes at him. The Naruto ducks by getting to a backbend and back flips out of the way. Kankuro starts after him, seeming to forget about the last Naruto. While Kankuro goes after one Naruto, the other takes this moment to run after Kankuro, leaps forward, and jumps on his back. Kankuro stops dead in his tracks and begins to reach backwards to grab Naruto and shakes his body around to get him to fall off. Naruto mischievously smiles, pulls at a kunai, and cuts off the straps around Kankuro's shoulders that is allowing him to carry his mummified puppet. Naruto grabs the bandaged puppet in one motion, hops off Kankuro's back, and rushes off to join the other Naruto.

"I wonder what this weirdo has hidden in here?" one Naruto says as he carelessly throws Kankuro's puppet on the ground.

Kankuro grits his teeth. "Be careful with that!"

The other Naruto chuckles. "Why? Afraid we will break something?"

"He probably isn't that strong without it," Naruto #1 says. "Let's hurry and destroy whatever is in here."

"Alright, boss," Naruto #2 replies.

Naruto #2 just called Naruto #1 boss so that means the real Naruto is on the right while the Shadow Clone is on the left. Got it now.

Kankuro takes off towards Naruto and his clone and the Shadow Clone zooms after Kankuro to hold him off. As both guys grab one another by the shoulders, the real Naruto raises his foot up to stomp Kankuro's weapon. Suddenly, Kankuro collapses to the ground and the clone yelps in surprise, causing Naruto to halt his actions and snaps his head up to see what is going on. In that split second, the bandages underneath Naruto's foot start to unravel and a figure shoots out, headbutting Naruto's stomach. It knocks the breath out of him and Naruto hunches over before being smacked to the ground by the figure.

I widen my eyes. The figure that just broke out of the bandages is Kankuro. Wait. I'm confused. I thought Kankuro fell to the ground? Unless that's his…

The fallen Kankuro springs up after in the Shadow Clone's face and he gasps in shock. "Kankuro's" face is slowly crumbling away and a more wooden look face appears.

Yep. That's his puppet. But, how did he do that?

I activated my Byakugan to get a better look and see that thin chakra threads are shooting out of Kankuro's fingers and are connected to the puppet. With a slight flick of his fingers, Kankuro controls the puppet's body to open it's mouth and several dart flew out of it. The darts pierces themselves into the clone's face, eyes, and ears and he, thankfully, poofs away in an instant because that was a gory sight to witness just now. Naruto widens his eyes at what he just saw and jumps onto this feet to gawk at Kankuro's puppet.

"T-that is one scary doll!" Naruto shouts, pointing at the puppet.

Kankuro's eyebrow twitches. "He is not a doll, idiot! He is my puppet and his name is Crow!"

Naruto rolls his eyes. "Doll. Puppet. Whatever. Samething. What I really care to know is how in the world did you pop out of those bandages like that?! I could've swore my clone was fighting you!"

Kankuro stop scowling at Naruto and gives him a sly grin. "I switched my body with Crow during the first match when the first smokebombs were thrown. Since everyone's eyes were on it, I quickly switched out with Crow have been controlling his every move with my chakra threads." He waves his fingers for empathizes. "Which, wasn't very hard since I was only standing."

"Okay, but how were you able to see and perfectly move that thing while covered in those bandages?" Naruto questions.

" _Crow,_ not _thing_ ," Kankuro corrects Naruto. "And, I have two small video cameras hidden within Crow's eyes that allows me to see through the tiny handheld one I have. Crow even has a voice box that allows him to speak when I speak through mine. Pretty cool, huh?"

Okay, where is this guy carrying a video camera and a voice recorder? Probably in those deep pockets of his.

Naruto shrugs. "Sounds pretty lame to me. I mean, I would never play with dolls, much less fight with one. Dolls are for little girls. You are also wearing makeup…. Shit! Are you really a girl?! You totally look like a guy!"

Oh… my… No he just didnt.

I cannot help myself and I burst out laughing, Shikamaru snickers, and Sakura hides a grin. Behind me, Sasuke smirks and I hear Ino smack her forehead and mumble, "That idiot! How embarrassing!"

From the other railing, Temari sweatdrops for her brother.

Kankuro's face turns blood red in frustration. "What the…?! Hell, no! I'm a guy! Totally a guy! And, for the last time, this is a damn puppet, not a doll! The stuff I am wearing is facepaint that a puppetmaster typically wears, not makeup!" He wiggles his fingers. "I'll make you regret mocking me!"

Crow shoots towards Naruto, large blades suddenly popping out the joints of his arms, legs, and head, and he begins to spin around. Naruto creates four more Shadow Clones to use as a barrier as he takes several steps backwards. The puppet easily cuts through the clones like grass and continues straight towards Naruto. He clenches his jaw, clumsily weaves some handsigns, and spurts out two medium sized water bullets out of his mouth. Kankuro's dances his fingers around and has Crow to avoid the two waterballs. Naruto takes this brief moment to jump into the air and hurl a kunai towards Kankuro's chakra threads, severing them. Crow stops spinning and crashes to the ground.

"Alright, Naruto!" Ino shouts. "Way to use your head!"

Kankuro sneers, but quickly creates some more chakra threads and connects them to Crow just as quick as Naruto destroyed them. Crow comes back to life and retracts his blades. Instead, Crow's knee cap pops open and several small darts start shooting out of it. Naruto dodges the darts and wipes some sweat off of his forehead. He frantically looks around the room, spots the two holes that Shikamaru created in the previous match, and starts hauling ass towards the nearest one. Kankuro commands Crow to stop shooting out darts and sends the puppet flying after Naruto. As Naruto rushes over to the hole, Crow's mouth opens up and a hail of senbon aims themselves towards Naruto. In the nick of time, Naruto leaps into the air and dives straight into the hole.

With my Byakugan, I see Naruto crawling about halfway underground and pauses to catch his breathe, and hopefully to formulate a plan. As Naruto rests, Kankuro moves his fingers around once more and causes Crow's head, arms, and legs to detach from the body. The limbs spread out around the body like a small army and larges blades start to jut out of the floating parts. One by one, Kankuro carefully directs the lims over to the hole and start to manipulate them to travel underground.

Shit, this isn't good for Naruto. He isn't going to see them coming. Screw my thoughts about "cheating". Temari just did for her brother. I can break some of my own rules, too.

"Naruto! Get out of there, now!" I shout at the top of my lungs, hoping the floor isn't presenting itself as a soundproof barrier. I watch as Naruto straightens up to the sound of my voice and rushes above ground. "He had his puppet deattach it's limbs and are coming after you from underground!"

"Got it!" Naruto calls back and creates two Shadow Clones. "Damn! I was wanting four!" Shit, the seal Orochimaru gave him is messing up his chakra at the wrong place and time. "Nah, I will worry about that later!"

Naruto orders the clones to stand guard at the holes to deal with the limb while he squares off with the puppetmaster. As he charges after Kankuro once more, he pulls out a handful of kunai and starts throwing them one by one at the chakra threads. Every time they reappeared, Naruto's kunai makes them disappear again. As Naruto got closer to Kankuro, Kankuro realizes he has no choice but to permanently disconnect his threads, for now, and fight Naruto personally. Naruto swings his fist at Kankuro's face, but Kankuro grabs Naruto's wrist and twists it. Naruto grits his teeth and attempts to throw a roundhouse kick, but Kankuro brings up his knee to deflect it. He picks up Naruto, one handed, and tosses the blonde over his shoulder. As Naruto lands hard on his back. Kakuro pulls out two smokebombs and throws them onto the ground, causing a smoke cloud to appear.

Being able to watch with my Byakugan, I see Kankuro using his chakra threads to reconnect Crow while Naruto coughs and blindly stumbles through the smoke. As the smoke cloud traps Kankuro and Naruto, Naruto's clones keep on cutting Kankuro's threads every time it connected to one of his puppet's parts. But, there are more chakra threads and parts than clones. Finally, Kankuro securely gets a hold on an arm and forced a blade to swipe out and cut through one of the clones. The clones poofs away as the other clone leaps away from the blade. While Kankuro is focusing on dealing with the last clone and reconnecting his puppet, Naruto is silently feeling his away around the smoke to find Kankuro.

Ugh, why doesn't he just run out of the smoke until it clears up and help out his clone? That would be a better idea since his vision is impaired.

Suddenly, Naruto stops moving around, smirks, and uses the _Transformation Jutsu._ As he transform himself to a completely different person, I drop my jaw.

Is he really doing this right now?

Shikamaru notices my shocked expression and arches an eyebrow. "You okay? What do you see?"

I sigh and shake my head in utter disbelief. "Just wait and see."

As the smoke clears, it is revealed that Naruto is standing behind Kankuro… disguised as a very beautiful, naked woman. Gasps are heard throughout the room and Kankuro cocks his head in confusion and quickly whirls around. When he sees Naruto, his eyes bug out and his jaw drops like mine did.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Temari shouts. "Kankuro will never fall for something like that!"

Asuma gives Kakashi a look of interest. "So, this is what you've been teaching him?"

Kakashi rubs his mask. "He doesn't call himself Konoha's number one most unpredictable Shinobi for nothing."

"That dobe," Sasuke mumbles, his cheeks flushing.

"W-whatever works, Naruto!" Ino attempts to cheer, her own face red. She leans into Sakura. "I know he is under a transformation, but damn he makes a sexy woman!"

Sakura crosses her arms and looks down at her chest. "His breasts are larger than ours, too."

I roll my eyes. "You are barely a teenager."

Shikamaru sighs. "This is all so troublesome."

"Hey, big boy," Naruto says in a raspy, sexy voice. "You like what you see? You wouldn't dare to hurt somebody like dear ol' me, right?"

Naruto takes a couple of steps forward and slowly caresses Kankuro's cheek as Kankuro slightly shudders. Is… is he enjoying this? Naruto runs his hands down Kankuro's face, through his hair, and rubs his shoulders… and then raises his fist to knock him square in the face, sending Kankuro flying backwards.

"H-He fell for it!" Temari shouts.

"Fool," Gaara mumbles.

Before Kankuro can land on the ground, Naruto's Shadow Clone jumps into the air and kicks Kankuro back to his boss. Kankuro growls, flips in mid-air, and clumsily lands in his feet. He wipes his face and turns around to go after Sexy Naruto… and lands right in his breasts.

….. Awkward.

Naruto finally transforms back to his normal self and punches Kankuro in the gut. Kankuro gets the wind knocked out of him and he doubles over, grabbing his stomach. Naruto runs behind Kankuro as his Shadow Clone runs in front of Kankuro. Naruto pushes his fingers together to form the Tiger Sign, bends down, and sticks it up Kankuro's asshole.

" _Konoha Secret Finger Jutsu: One Thousand Years of Death_!" Naruto yells.

Kankuro just remains standing and glances down at Naruto. "Is… Is your fingers in my ass? Is this even a real jutsu?"

Naruto frowns. "Man, how is Kakashi-sensei able to perform this Jutsu but not me?" Then, he smirks. "Yes… my fingers are up your butt…"

Naruto's Shadow Clone rushes forwards and kicks Kankuro square in the jaw. "My foot is also in your face!"

Kankuro is kicked into the air. Naruto shoots upward, does three front flips, and brings his own foot down onto Kankuro. Kankuro crashes to the ground and the two Naruto's surround him. Kankuro struggles to get up, but is unable to.

"Agh. I...can't move," Kankuro spats.

Hayate stares at Naruto weirdly, like he can't believe the boy just won, before clearing his throat. "The winner of the third match is… Uzumaki Naruto."

A huge grin spreads across Naruto's face and he leaps into the air. "Alright! I did it! I won!"

I cup my hands around my mouth. "Whoohoo! Yeah! I knew you could do it!"

To be honest, I'm a little surprised he managed to pull that win off with the way he fought.

"Yeah! Two for two for Team Seven!" Ino cheers. "All we need now is one more win!"

"Wow, he really pulled through," Kakashi says.

"Ugh… I can't believe I lost to someone like you," Kankuro mutters.

Naruto gets rid of his clone, bends down, and offers his hand out to Kankuro to help him up. "Don't say that. You did great! You almost had me with that doll. That thing is dangerous with all those weapons hiding in it!"

Kankuro grits his teeth and then sighs. "Nevermind… Nevermind. Thanks for the hand, kid, but I really can't move. You have a lot of power behind those strikes of yours."

"Huh, you think?" Naruto replies, glancing down at his fists and feet. "I never really put any extra effort when I attack. I just hit normally."

Kankuro rolls his eyes. "Nothing is normal about you. I'm going to be the laughing stock of my village when they hear how I gotten beaten."

Naruto arches an eyebrow. "Just don't tell anybody."

Kankuro manages to barely point up at his older sister. "Oh, I won't. But, she surely will." Temari notices Kankuro pointing at her and glares that in a mixture of annoyance and disappointment. "Gah. She's gonna kill me."

Naruto shudders. "She looks a little scary."

The medical Shinobi show up and Naruto steps out of the way as they place Kankuro on the stretcher and proceed to carry him out of the room. Naruto runs up the stairs to rejoin all of us.

Since Sasuke isn't much of a loud cheerer, he walks up to Naruto and nods his head. "Nice work out there."

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Heh, thanks!"

Kakashi places a hand on his student's shoulder. "You fought very… different. But, it all worked out in the end so congratulations!"

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei!"

Before anyone else could tell Naruto congrats, the screen on the board starts to make noise, signaling all of us that it is choosing names for the next match.

Okay, I might be ready to fight now. Or forfeit. Still haven't fully decided yet.

 **Yamanaka Ino**

 **Vs**

 **Haruno Sakura**

Hmmm, not a shocker. I guess this is one match that isn't going to change. They are rivals after all. I wonder if that means that I still have to fight Neji? I hope not. To be honest, I have been kind of hoping I would fight someone I know I can possibly beat like Ino even though my wrist is sprained. If I decide to, that is.

I hear Sakura gasp softly beside of me and I look over at her. She is staring at Ino with wide eyes. Ino stares back at her and narrows her eyes. Sakura just averts her eyes downward and they both head down the steps without saying a word.

"Man, of course Sakura would get paired up with her of all people," Shikamaru says, resting his arms on his neck.

"Why? Cause you know that Ino is going to win?" Naruto questions with a smirk.

Shikamaru sighs. "Don't start playing dumb you idiot. You know why."

"This match can either be very interesting or very boring," Sasuke chimes in. "Ino has improved greatly since her Academy days, and I am sure Sakura has as well. They fight with very different styles and we might be in for a long and decent match if they don't fight with their kid gloves."

Naruto arches an eyebrow. "What do you mean by kid gloves?"

"Just because Sakura and Ino bicker at each other constantly doesn't mean they hate one another," I explain. "We all know they were the best of friends when they were younger. Are they going to be able to look beyond their history together and have a serious match or will they hold back? That is what he means by kid gloves."

Naruto crosses his arms and nods. "Oh, okay. I understand now."

I glance down at the arena as Sakura and Ino get into their spots. I hope Sakura does well and doesn't choke. She isn't to confident when it comes to her skills, especially when it comes to competing with Ino. No matter how much of an act she puts on in front of her rival, that is all it is. An act.

I watch from above as Sakura and Ino stare each other down.

"Just because we've spent the last five days together in kumbaya doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you, Billboard Brow!" Ino taunts, trying to get under Sakura's skin. "You're going down!"

I can see Sakura's confidence weaver slightly from Ino's comment before she shakes her head and glares at Ino. "In your dreams, Ino-pig! I would be insulted if you didn't go all out on me! I would assume you were chickening out or something!"

"Ha! Hell would have to freeze over before I run away from a match with you," Ino replies.

Sakura decides to remain silent after that to start concentrating on the fight. Smart idea. She doesn't need for Ino's taunts to be getting into her head and distracting her.

Hayate glances at each girl before waving his hand up. "Let the fourth match between Yamanaka Ino and Haruno Sakura begin!" He brings his hand down.

Sakura and Ino rush towards one another and Sakura throws the first kick. Ino blocks it with her arm, but Sakura quickly spins around and aims her fist towards Ino's gut. Ino brings up her knee to protect herself and grabs Sakura's wrist. She reaches out to hit Sakura's face, but Sakura drops to the ground and delivers a low kick. Ino hops to avoid the kick and does a backflip to get some distance away from her rival. Sakura gets back, also, and hurls a few kunai towards Ino. Ino easily evades the kunai, catches one of them, and slings that one, along with her own kunai, in Sakura's direction. Sakura rolls out of the way and sprints after Ino, weaving hand signs at the same time. Two illusionary clones appear beside of her and run with her.

"I've seen what you do with your clones already!" Ino calls. "Your trick isn't going to work on me!"

She goes on the defensive as she eyes the second clone that is hanging slightly back, the one that is usually the real attack. Sakura ignores Ino's comment and continues to pursuit her. Sakura's clones leap forward at Ino and she starts to get out of the way. As she does so, both of the clones turn into an explosion of cherry blossom petals and Sakura sends some chakra into her feet to gain speed. Before Ino can determine what is happening, Sakura decks her square in the cheek and Ino is sent flying backwards.

Yeah! You go, Sakura!

"I wouldn't underestimate me, Ino!" Sakura shouts as Ino rolls onto the ground. "I'm not the same crybaby you once knew! If you're going to play with fire, you're going to get burned!"

Ino rubs her cheek and scowls at Sakura. "Don't get so cocky, Sakura. That was just your one, and only, lucky punch." She gets up and brushes herself off. "This match is just getting started!"

"Your student has some impeccable chakra control going on, Asuma," I hear Kakashi say to my sensei as I watch Ino slowly get up. I glance over at them for a second in interest. "Powerful strikes from using chakra. Top notch for a rookie, don't cha think?"

Asuma nods. "Yep. She has better control than your own student, Sasuke."

I try my hardest not to smirk at Asuma's comment as Sasuke narrows his eyebrows and I go back to watching the fight.

Ino runs after Sakura, making handsigns. As Ino heads towards her, she creates three more clones to momentarily confuse the blonde. Ino seems to not be threatened by the clones as she opens her mouth and kneads her chakra to spit out multiple condensed balls of water. Three of the water bullets quickly hit Sakura's clones, but the fourth misses the real Sakura as she jumps in the air to dodge it. Ino jumps up their to join her and shoots out another waterball that she was hiding in her mouth. I can't see Sakura anymore as the large water ball obstructs my view of her and it directly hits her. She loudly gasps for air as the waterball digs into her stomach and she crashes into the ground.

"Woohoo! Go, Ino!" Naruto shouts.

Ino proudly smiles as she lands on the ground. "And, here I thought you were smart enough to not jump into the air to avoid an attack like that when I am so close to you." Sakura doesn't say anything, or really move, and continues to lay there. Ino arches an eyebrow. "Um, Sakura?"

"Shit. Is she really down that fast?" Shikamaru mumbles.

I shake my head. "I hope not. I hope she's okay."

Suddenly, Sakura appears behind Ino from one of the holes that Shikamaru had created from his match and holds a kunai to her neck. "I thought I told you to not underestimate me, Ino," she says.

I blink. Wait, how did she just do that? I just saw Sakura get hit or…

The other Sakura that had been hit by the water bullet poofs away.

"I don't get it! What is going on?" Naruto asks, looking over at me. Sasuke remains silent, but stares down intensely at the fight. "Ino clearly got Sakura with that attack. How did she suddenly appear like that out of nowhere?"

I shrug. "I'm just as confused as you are."

Naruto frowns. "But, you should know! You have your Byakugan thingie to improve your eyesight."

Byakugan… thingie? Sighhhhhhhhh. "I don't always have it on, Naruto," I inform him.

Naruto stares at me. "You don't?"

I sigh again and focus my attention back to Ino and Sakura.

Ino clenches her jaw. "H-how did you do that? When did you do that? I totally attacked you up there!"

Sakura smirks. "Oh, you attacked me alright. Just not from up there. When you shot those first four water bullets at me, I threw one of my clones up in the air right before halfway dodging it. Your water bullets were large enough to obstruct everyone's view of me, which no one seemed to even mind. When my clone was in the air, everyone focused on her since they thought she was the real me while I took the opportunity to hide underground and wait for you."

Okay, Sakura must have been working on her speed during her training sessions because even my trained eyes, without using the Byakugan, should've been able to see her perform such a move. I mean, the water bullets were big, and they did obstruct my view of her, but I would've noticed a blur or something.

"Great job, Sakura!" I call down.

"Hmmm, smart plan," Shikamaru says.

Asuma nods in agreement. "Mhmm. All of those sessions of having you come up with a plan within a short time limit has paid off I see."

Ino is speechless as Sakura pulls a Kin and grabs Ino's long ponytail, bringing the kunai closer to her neck at the same time. "You might as well forfeit, Ino. I got you trapped. You cannot move to run or hide from me."

Ino laughs out loud. "Ha! Ha! Ha! You're flipping crazy if you think I'm just going to give up!"

Sakura gives her a baffled look. "Are you really that stupid to not see the predicament you are in? I think you're the crazy one!"

Ino pulls out a kunai. "Are you sure that you got me trapped, Billboard Brow?"

"I'm pretty sure," Sakura replies, annoyed. She pulls on Ino's hair and Ino bites her lip in pain. "You can't even do anything with that kunai so I don't know why you have it out?"

I widen my eyes in realization. Woah, is she really going to do that?!

Ino smirks. "So, I can do this."

Ino raises her kunai and slices it through her hair, releasing her from Sakura's grip. Sakura drops her guard and gasps in surprise as Ino takes the opportunity to shove Sakura's kunai away from her neck and jerks her head back to bash Sakura's nose in. She gathers a good amount of her hair and begins to drop it onto the ground in small patches as she springs away from Sakura. Sakura grabs her nose as it starts to bleed and tilts her head back, watching Ino from the corners of her eyes in shock.

"S-she's gone off the deep end!" Naruto shouts.

Sasuke stares down in shock.

"Oh, boy," Kakashi says, rubbing his mask.

"I-Ino! Y-your hair!" Sakura stammers.

Ino shrugs. "I cut it. Big deal. It will grow back. I would rather cut it than lose to you, Billboard Brow!"

As Sakura splits her attention on tending to her nose, devising a new plan, and staying on guard, Ino brings extends her hands outwards and brings her fingers together.

Well, if I remember correctly, I'm pretty I know how this is going to go now. Ino is going to throw out a pretend seal to syke Sakura out so she can get out of the way and step into the path of Ino's hair, Ino will prevent Sakura from moving as she traps her by channeling her chakra through her hair, and then Ino will really use _Mind Transfer Jutsu_ on Sakura.

As I expected, Ino does the following. Except as she is about to really enter Sakura's mind this time around, Sakura lifts up a finger. Ino rolls her eyes. "Okay, making clones is not going to distract me at a time like this. They can't even move unless you do!"

I squint. Wait, what clones? There is still only one of Sakura.

Suddenly, Ino sidesteps out of the way. "Argh! Will you stop already?! None of your efforts are going to work on me!"

Why did she sidestep for?! There was nothing there to dodge!

"What is Ino talking about, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asks.

"She's under a genjutsu," Sasuke answers instead.

I shot him a surprised look. Genjutsu?! Is that what that lift of a finger was for?

I activated my Byakugan and notice the slight ripples flickering around Ino and Sakura. Yep, Sakura has Ino under a genjutsu.

Naruto's eyes widen and he looks down at the two girls and then back at Sasuke. "Wait, how do you know? I don't even see one going on!"

"You aren't always able to see the genjutsu if it wasn't casted on you," Sasuke explains. "Whatever Ino is seeing right now, she still thinks it is reality."

As Sasuke continues to attempt to get Naruto to understand what is going on, I go back to watching the fight.

Ino sidesteps out of the way again and her eyes suddenly widens. "W-why is there so many of you? How are you able to break free of my trap?"

Sakura continues to stand there as Ino starts to rapidly roll, twirl, and spin around at whatever is trying to attack her in Sakura's genjutsu. I wonder if this is the same genjutsu that she put Kin under? It seems to be freaking Ino out and wearing her down at the same time.

"Ino!" Naruto suddenly shouts. "Snap out of it! You're under a genjutsu!" Ino seems to either not of heard him, which I wouldn't understand how, or is choosing to ignore him as she continues to dodge the invisible attacks with her life. "Ino! Are you even listening to me?! Snap out of it!"

"Naruto," Kakashi speaks up. "She can't hear you. Sakura's genjutsu is too strong for any outside noise to break in."

Naruto clenches his teeth and grabs the railing, hard. "Damn it! She's going to lose at this rate."

Shikamaru shrugs. "That's a good thing for us."

I lightly smack his arm. "Have some empathy."

Shikamaru looks at me sideways. "Don't scold me. There is nothing wrong with publicly letting everyone know that you want your teammate to win. Naruto has been doing it this whole time."

Naruto whips his head around. "Are you guys talking about me?" Shikamaru pretends he doesn't hear him.

Ino is breathing heavily now and breaking a sweat as she drops to the ground. She pulls out a kunai and slings it in the opposite direction of Sakura, hitting the ground. Ino scowls starts hurling kunai around in a circle, all hitting nothing but the ground. One kunai heads towards Sakura and she easily gets out of the way. Ino pauses briefly and then throws another kunai in Sakura's direction, causing her to barely move again to avoid getting hit. Ino straightens up her body, just stands there for a couple of seconds, and then smiles.

"So, it looks like your clones and attacks are nothing but illusions," Ino says, looking around. I imagine, clones, kunais, and shurikens are going through her body as she speaks. "I've been under a genjutsu this whole time. Good one, Sakura. I will give you that. However, it is time for me to leave it!"

She presses her fingers together to release herself from the genjutsu when Sakura quickly throws a kunai at her and it sinks into her shoulder. Ino winces in pain and looks around. It looks like she is unable to pinpoint where the kunai came from this time around, like Sakura increased more clones or weapons in her genjutsu or something. Ino leaves the kunai in her shoulder and brings her fingers together again when Sakura takes a few steps closer to her and throws another kunai. The kunai hits Ino's other shoulder and Ino cries out loud and drops to her knees. I guess she is getting exhausted now and the pain is taking a toll on her body. Sakura stares down Ino for few seconds, to see if she will try to release herself from the genjutsu, smirks, and starts walking towards her to land the final blow. Ino struggles to get up, but falls back down again, and bows her head.

"N-no," she gasps. "I-I can't lose to you!"

This is it. Sakura is going to win…

Suddenly, Ino lifts her head, smiles, and brings her hands together to form circle when Sakura is only steps away from her.

….. Or maybe not. Shit.

" _Mind Transfer Jutsu_!" Ino shouts and extends her hands out towards Sakura.

Sakura immediately freezes on the spot and drops her head, Ino doing the same. Everything and everyone is silent as they wait in anticipation to see what happens. Did Ino get her? Both girls are tired and low on chakra. It can be a hit or miss. Finally, Sakura's head lifts up and she blinks and glances around. She looks down, wiggles her fingers, and smirks. My heart drops.

"I don't have much time," Ino in Sakura's body mumbles. She quickly raises her hand. "I, Haruno Sakura, would like to withdraw from this match."

Hayate gives Sakura a confused look before speaking. "The winner of the fourth match is Yamanaka Ino."

"Yeahhhhhh! Ino! Way to go!" Naruto shouts.

Sasuke gives out a small, impressed smile.

Shikamaru rubs his face. "Ugh. I can't believe she lost. Even I thought she had this one."

I sigh. This sucks. I feel so bad for her. "She's not going to be a happy camper."

"She kept telling Ino this whole time to not underestimate her when really she should've been falling her own advice. Unfortunately, Ino outsmarted her," Asuma says. "Somehow, she either already broken the genjutsu or had pinpointed where Sakura was and kept faking it and getting hit until Sakura got closer to her. Even though it was smart of Sakura to try to wear her opponent out, she didn't think everything thoroughly."

"I guess it looks like my students have proved so far that they are capable of using both their fists and their brains," Kakashi "innocently" tells Asuma. He glances down at Naruto. "Well, most of my students."

Naruto balls up his fists and points at his sensei. "Hey! What do you mean?! If I hadn't of did that, I wouldn't have won my match!"

Kakashi waves his match. "Nooo, not you. I was talking about a different student of mine."

"Liar!"

Asuma rubs his face. "I still can't believe you taught him that move, Kakashi."

Naruto snaps his head at Asuma. "Eh?! No! He is not taking credit for my _Sexy Jutsu_!"

Kakashi places a hand on his student's shoulder. "He's talking about _A Thousand Years of Death_."

Naruto pauses. "Oh."

I arch an eyebrow. "Plus, Ino didn't use her fist so how did she-"

Kakashi glances over at me and smiles at me with his eye. "Were you about to question me, a superior Jonin, little Genin?"

I blink. "W-what? No!"

Below, Ino releases herself from Sakura's body to return back to her own. As she does so, Sakura collapses to the ground, unconscious. Ino returns to her body and instantly goes unconcious, also. Asuma and Kakashi stop conversing with one another and jump down to retrieve their fallen students.

Hayate coughs. "While they are doing that, let's view who is going to be fighting in the next match."

We all start to watch the names flicker across the screen.

Let's see, there is me, Lee, Neji, Gaara, Temari, Shino, and Tenten left and one of us is not going to be fighting. With who is left, my odds are not looking good for me to win. Maybe I should just forfeit my match and blame my injury. I really don't want to take a chance and end up breaking it. Plus, I really need to focus on coming up with a plan to minimize damage from the invasion. Unless Kin has decided to come clean about everything, which I doubt since the Sand Siblings are still hanging around, I want to prevent as much casualties as I can since I know I cannot prevent the invasion.

However, I am going to have a whole month to think of a plan. I can do that while training for the Third Exam if I partake in my match and pull out a win. I will be training anyways during that month since we will be on a break from missions if I didn't partake in this match.

But, if I go along with the match I will be a hypocrite. I don't think I am ready to become a Chunin if the Hokage and the proctors think I am capable of becoming one if I make it to the Third Exam. As I have noticed, none of my plans have really went very well during the Second Exam. Orochimaru still almost beat the crap out of us and marked Sasuke if I didn't fall out of that tree, I fell asleep when I told Sasuke I would stay awake, and I sprained my wrist. The only thing that went right was that somebody, most likely Anko, saw my SOS signals and that saved us from Orochimaru's wrath. Besides that, I would not be a very good leader, no matter how hard I try to act like I am one. I would become a good Chunin in a couple of years when I have more experience and training, but not right now.

But, if I just give up will people really believe it is because of my injury? Most people might, but I know Sasuke, Neji, Shikamaru, and Asuma won't. If I give up, they will become suspicious and question me, trying to find a deeper meaning. They know I am always training and trying to be the best Shinobi I can be and I would never turn down a challenge like this. If I give up, my father would be so disappointed in me and would probably say something about me making a fool out of our clan because I am the heiress. It isn't going to look good on me if the heiress gives up while the Branch Member advances to the Third Exam. This could also affect our clan's council decision to appoint me as the Head. Even though there has been talk about Hanabi replacing me, there has been talk of her being better than me when I was seven and how much easily the Gentle Fist is coming to her. Unlike her, I am willing to question authority and change the clan and would love to choose her over me the first time I screw up.

Shit. What if me giving up does affect my chances of becoming the Head? My father is a strong person. They will not want a weak leader who is quick to give up and is not reliable.

 _Ping!_

I hear the noise from the screen go off, indicating the names has appeared. I feel a nudge to my shoulder from Shikamaru and I break out my thoughts, glance up at the screen, and raise an eyebrow.

 **Hyūga Hinata**

 **Vs**

 **Tenten**

I'm fighting her? Weird. Well, that's some weight off my shoulders. I least I am not fighting Neji, which is strange. But, none of the fights, accept Sakura's and Ino's, have gone correctly so I shouldn't be too surprised. At least Tenten is probably the easiest person to go against out of the remaining competitors left. Her and Shino, though Shino would probably better a better matchup because I can just chop all his bugs in half with my _Protective Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms_. Tenten has the ability to throw weapons at her target and perfectly land a shot ten out of ten times. With a sprained wrist, maybe she isn't going to be so easy after all. I really shouldn't complain. I could be fighting someone like Gaara after all, and I would really give up then.

Naruto smacks my back. "Alright, Hinata! It is finally your turn! Show that girl what you are made of!"

I hesitate.

I guess I'm going to have to fight her. I can't give up and make myself and my clan look bad. I'm not willing to deal with the endless lectures from my father or the severe training he might put me through as punishment and just call it training. If I win this match and make it to the finals, I can always just let the other guy beat without anybody noticing. Try my best and then have one little slip up. I can make it convincing. I can try hard enough to look like a strong kunoichi and heiress, but not good enough to considered a Chunin just yet. My father can't get angry at me then, right?

Naruto drops his arm. "Are you okay?"

Asuma lazily glances over at me as he and Kakashi easily set down Ino and Sakura against the wall behind us, but I know he's waiting for me to answer.

Sasuke stares me down. "Is there something wrong? Your opponent is already down in the arena."

I glance down and notice Tenten giving me an impatient glare as she twirls her kunai around. Down to my right, I hear Lee and Guy shouting for Tenten to win and telling her good luck and stuff like that like Neji stands there with his arm crossed and with an annoyed look on his face. Maybe she is just actually glaring at them. Yeah, I'm gonna go with that.

I open my mouth to speak, but Shikamaru interrupts me. "You're not worried about your "broken wrist", right? You're gonna be fine."

I can't tell if Shikamaru is trying to save me from being questioned anymore or is lowkey selling me out.

"Oh. I forgot about your wrist," Naruto says to me. He doesn't say anymore, but he gives me a worried look. He would never encourage me to give up, but I know he is concerned about my state to fight right now.

"Are you going to fight or are you planning on giving… ack ack… up?" Hayate asks from below.

I look around at everybody and nod my head. "Yes, I was worried about my wrist. But, I am going to fight!"

Naruto's face brightens up. "There you go, Hinata!"

I jump off the railing and land on the ground.

"Finally! I was going to be disappointed if Neji's cousin gave up on me," Tenten says to me.

My first interaction with this girl and I already like her. She seems determined to fight me, but doesn't seem loud or bitchy. I think I can get along with her.

"Sorry, I was just trying to have everyone wait in anticipation, to see if I will fight or not, and then make a grand entrance," I tease. Behind me, I hear Shikamaru groan and I know Neji's eyebrow twitched. He doesn't like when I joke around in serious situations.

Tenten gives me a strange look. "You are nothing like Neji."

I raise an eyebrow. "Good. That would be weird if I was like Neji considering I am Hinata."

Tenten smacks her forehead. "I can see why Neji calls you a handful."

Geez, thanks Neji.

Hayate looks at the both of us and raises his hand. "The fifth match between Hyūga Hinata and Tenten begins now!"

As Tenten places her hand on her weapons pouch, I do what I do best and run away from her. If I am going to have a chance at winning against her, I am going to have to rely on my speed and defense until I catch her off guard or wear her out. She has the advantage on me by being able to use her weapons at all distances while I can only fight short to mid-range, more on the short range side.

"You are running away from me already?" Tenten calls out. "How disappointing."

"You are on the same team as my cousin," I tell her. "That means you have some experience with fighting a Hyūga. You will easily determine many of my attacks if I go in headstrong, plus I am only able to use one arm. I guess I could use both of them if I enjoyed being in pain."

Tenten flicks open her weapon pouch. "Well, if you are not going to come to me, it looks like my weapons are going to have to come to you!"

Tenten leaps up into the air and hurls six shurikens towards me, all coming from different angles. Ugh, this is going to be hard to dodge! Sending chakra into my feet, I hop out of the way, but three out of the six shurikens manages to tear through my makeshift sling and sink into my wrist. I stumble backwards and cautiously pull them out as I wince in pain. Well, this isn't a good start.

"Hmm, I'm impressed. You're pretty quick on your feet," Tenten says. "You dodged half of my shurikens and I never miss."

I don't say anything back as I throw the shurikens onto the ground and created more distance between her and I. It seems like I am not going to be able to outrun her with speed alone. I'm going to have to rely on my Shadow Clones and Substitution Thought my wrist is "broken" to everyone, it is believable for me to inch my fingers together to make hand signs. A Shinobi can bare a little pain to do such things.

As Tenten stares me down, watching every step I take, I carefully cross my fingers together and two Shadow Clones appeared on each side. Tenten blinks in surprise as all three of us pulls out a storage scroll and my clones start to run to opposite sides of the room. Tenten watches us for a second as my clones and I open the scroll and a straw dummy pops out. She shakes her head and pulls out a handful of kunais and shurikens to prevent us for setting up our dummies. She ignores me and throws her weapons at them and the straw dummies. The clones finishes putting the dummy in place and jumps in front of it to prevent the weapons from attacking it.

Tenten gives me a puzzled look as they poof into thin air. "I don't know what you are planning, but it isn't going to work!"

Well, I don't know exactly what I am planning, yet, either. I just can't allow her to get near my straw dummies. Not yet.

Okay, now to see if my little theory is going to work.

I start running towards her and she goes on guard and starts running towards me. As she does so, she pulls out a scroll and summons a sickle and chain. She swings it around her head and slings it towards me. Okay, I was expecting her to throw more shurikens and kunais at me and not something that can restrict me. As the chain starts to wrap itself around me, I quickly weave hand signs and find myself on the other side of the room. I see that one of the straw dummies my Shadow Clones had set up has replaced me and Tenten is now pulling that instead of me towards her. After a second, it dawns on to her that I have escaped, but she realizes a little too late. I lift up two fingers and the explosive tag attached to the dummy's back explodes right in front of her.

I hear Tenten cry out in shock as the tag explodes and a small smoke cloud forms around her. I take this opportunity to create more two more Shadow Clones so they can set up more dummies. This fight would be a hell of a lot easier if we were fighting in a forest or something. That way, I can use my _Substitution Jutsu_ without ease instead of having to improvise. I'm not really sure if I can substitute with something like an another human or a Shadow Clone, but I don't want to test anything out until I get some clarification.

Tenten jumps out of the now fading smoke and notices the new dummies. "Great. That is going to get annoying. I guess it is time to step things up a little."

She jumps high into the air and pulls out a long scroll. She starts spinning it around her whole body like a ribbon until she is nothing but a blur. I activated my Byakugan and see that she is holding up the scroll with one hand while grazing the scroll with her other. Suddenly, a literal rain of projectiles came falling out of her scroll towards me. I'm talking about darts, shurikens, kunais, throwing daggers, arrows. Anything and everything and under the sun it seems. And, there is no way that I will be able to simply use a Substitution to avoid this attack. I run over to the straw dummy I set up while my clones stand in front of theirs. I throw off my makeshift sling and I hear some gasps from above as I raise up both of my hands and start to rapidly wave them around, my Shadow Clones mimicking me.

" _Protective Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms_!"

All three of us start to create a barricade with our chakra blades and the fallen weapons begin to deflect off the shield and onto the ground. The rain of weapons didn't last long and I stop moving my hands to reserve chakra. Tenten lands on the ground and gaps at me.

"H-how did you do that?" Tenten questions. "I thought your wrist was broken?"

I shrug. "No, I lied. However, my wrist is sprained." And, on the verge of breaking if it gets damaged anymore. But, that can go unspoken.

"What?! She was faking this whole time?" I hear Naruto shout from the railing. "But, whatever. Great move, Hinata-chan! That was totally cool!"

"Don't let this one surprise get to your head, Tenten!" Lee shouts. "You can do it!"

Beside of Lee, Neji is staring down at me with an arched eyebrow. I know I'm definitely being questioned by him later. He will want to know all about my new mastered move and why I kept it a secret and I'm sure my other friends and Asuma will as well.

Tenten shakes her head. "So, you are able to create a barrier. I wonder how long you can keep it up?"

I give her a suspicious glance. "Why do you want to know?"

Tenten responds by pulling out two scrolls and setting them on the ground. Okay, more scrolls mean more weapons hailing upon me and I do not need that kind of stress right now. I pull out my kunai attached to some wire and hurl it towards Tenten. She bats it away like a fly, but I manipulate the strings to have the kunai wrap itself around one of the scrolls. Before I can pull it towards me, Tenten whips out a kunai and quickly cuts my wire in half, dropping her scroll. Shit. Why is she so skilled with her weapons? She places her scroll back up and starts to make hand signs as I poof away my Shadow Clones so I can gain back as much chakra as I can to prepare myself.

Tenten finishes making signs and crosses her arms in front of her. " _Rising Twin Dragons_!"

The two scrolls releases two separate smoke clouds and the smoke start to form to look like two dragons. The smoke dragons shoots themselves into the air and start to fly and spin around each other. As the dragons reach the ceiling, the smoke goes away to reveal the scrolls and Tenten leaps into the air between the two scrolls. She begins touching the scrolls with her hands as they dance around her and starts to rapidly summon and throw all sorts of weaponry once more. This time around, there is a shit ton more of them. I protect myself again with my chakra shield as the weapons fail to hit me. But, the weapons kept on coming. Barrage after barrage and my chakra is quickly depleting, I'm starting to grow tired, and the pain in my wrist is gradually getting worse.

Finally, the weapons stop fall and I stop moving my hands and breathe out heavily. Tenten lands onto the ground, but then jumps back into the air and I notice that she has wires connected to all of of her weapons. Double shit! She lifts up her weapons and directs her army of floating weapons towards me. I don't have enough stamina to perform my technique for a third time in a row. I need to think fast! I start to look around the room and notice that one of my clones had places a straw dummy about thirteen feet away from one of the holes that Shikamaru created during his fight. There! If I can just make it in time! I substituted my body with the straw dummy just as Tenten unleashes her weapons upon me. I start to sprint towards the hole as fast as I can and dive into the hole. As I dive into the hole, I feel a few somethings stab into my legs and I yelp out in pain.

I crawl deeper into the hole until I am momentarily safe and used my Byakugan to observe what exactly had struck me. It appears that seven small weapons has managed to lodge itself into various spots on my legs. Thankfully, it didn't hit any vital spots. But, I'm not going to be running anymore. I'm going to be limping. My legs are hurting like hell now and I'm bleeding everywhere.

Damn! I need to end this fight now!

I extend my vision to see what is going on above and I see Tenten landing onto the ground and catching her breathe as her weapons is scattered all over the arena. What a mess. Though, she looks a little tired and frustrated. I wonder how much weapons does she have left. Probably not much, if any.

Okay, I need to get close enough to her so I can just attack her with my Gentle Fist and I can win this match. However, that is much easier said than done. There is no straw dummies close enough to her so I can quickly replace myself with it and attack her. The closest one is still too far away from her. She will notice that I am coming after her, since I can't really move that fast at the moment, and easily avoid my strikes and counterattacks. I guess I just need to do what I am good at and distract and ambush her.

I create a Shadow Clone and it pops out of the hole and begins to go after Tenten. Tenten jerks her head in my clone's direction, picks up a nearby weapon on the ground, and throws it at her. The clone deflects it with a single chakra blade and throws her own kunai towards Tenten. Tenten rolls out of the way, careful to not roll into any sharp weapons, and pulls out another scroll.

Wait, she has more scrolls…?

She quickly opens the scroll and pulls out a familiar looking weapon. I widen my eyes. Are you freaking serious? How the hell did she get ahold of that?! Why is she even allowed to have it?! Doesn't she know who originally owned it and how many people he has killed with it?!

Tenten starts swinging the deadly scythe around and whips it towards the clone. My clone jumps into the air and throws several kunai towards Tenten. Tenten blocks it with her newfound weapon and holds it by her side. I need to get rid of that weapon! My clones gets a little closer to Tenten and thrusts her palm out to hit her with a chakra blade. Tenten evades it and extends her scythe out again to attack the clone and the clone jumps in the air once more. As she does so, I weave hand signs and find myself suddenly in the air and feeling exhausted while my clone takes my spot underground.

Okay, I know I said I wasn't going to do that, but I'm out of options. But, boy, this is chakra draining. Switching bodies with a heavy mass like my clone. I can't do that anymore without proper training.

Tenten moves the triple- bladed scythe up towards me and I activate my chakra scalpels and plan to do what I apparently do best in my times of need: slice things in half. I manage to move my body foreward to perform a mid air front flip to dodge the scythe and I bring both of my chakra infused hands down onto the cable that allows the scythe to move at great lengths. My hands slices through the cable, cutting the weapon in half, and I hear Tenten gasp. The weapons drops to the ground in two pieces as I land on the ground with it, right next to Tenten. As I land, I stumble a little and knew I can't hold my body up for much longer.

I get into my fighting stance and charge towards Tenten with all of my might. " _Eight Trigrams: Thirty-Two Palms_!"

I being to rapidly strike her body, blocking her chakra points. I only got eleven counts in before my body gives up on me and I crumple to the ground, feeling the memories of my clone flood inside of me as it poofs away from lack of chakra. I glance up at Tenten and realize those eleven strikes were enough to do the trick. She instantly crumples to the ground, unable to move.

Yes! She is down for the count, but I need to try and get up or this will be a draw.

My body starts to quiver and pain shoots throughout inside of me as I struggle to get up. If I can just stand for a few seconds…! I send whatever chakra I have left to my legs and feet and I somehow manage to get up. I wobble around a little as I stand and my body continues to shake.

I look over at Hayate and he is studying us both.

"Are you able to continue fighting, Tenten?" Hayate asks. Tenten tries to move in response, but fails and remains quite. He glances over at me. "What about you?"

I blink in annoyance. "W-what do y-you think?" I breathe heavily. "I-I'm the one that is s-standing."

Hayate simply nods. "Alright. Well, the winner of the fifth is… ack ack... Hyūga Hinata!"

I… I won? I actually won?

A smile creeps onto my face and the last thing I remember is Naruto and Shikamaru shouting my name in happiness before everything went dark.

* * *

My eyes flutter open and I find myself propped up against a wall, alone. I blink and scan my surroundings and find that I am leaning against the wall that Ino and Sakura were leaning against when they were knocked out. I shift around and notice only a minimal amount of pain surging through me instead of the intense amount I was experiencing during the fight with Tenten. I glance down at my legs and wrist and notice they have been properly bandaged and cleaned up. I attempt to get up, but my head suddenly feels like it is spinning so I stop. Asuma must've heard me moving around because he turns around and walks over to me without drawing anyone's attention.

"How you feeling?" he asks me as he crouches down next to me.

"Better than before," I inform him.

Asuma nods. "That's good. I got someone to treat you here because I knew you was hurt anymore to waste a trip to the hospital. Plus, I knew you would want to stick around until the end."

I blink. "I had several weapons sticking into my legs. That doesn't cause for a trip to the hospital?"

Asuma shakes his head. "Yes, but they were not that deep inside of you. You were not rapidly bleeding out or anything. An injury like yours is minor compared to what these medical Shinobi have to deal with on a daily basis."

"Having multiple weapons piercing me is a minor injury?"

"In this case, yes. There are many medical Shinobi on standby. Now, if an injury like yours happened on a mission, let's say in the middle of the forest, than you would be in a bad spot."

"Oh." I guess that makes sense for this universe.

"Mhmm," Asuma hums. "You did pretty good out there. You came into the battle injured, even though you lied about how injured you were, you showed off a new move, even though you've been hiding it from us, and you defeated your opponent. It was a good match to watch."

I narrow my eyes. "Don't be throwing any shade towards me. Shinobi are suppose to be sneaky and trick their opponents. How can you explain to me why Tenten has that scythe?"

Asuma is suddenly interested in the toothpick hanging out of his mouth. "We can discuss that later. Now is not the place or time."

"Okay," I mumble. "So, what is going on right now?"

"Well, Guy's mini him and the redhead from Suna are duking it out right now. It is the last round."

I widen my eyes. "I've been knocked out for a whole match? Who fought beforehand?"

Did Neji fight? If so, did he win?

"The last of Kurenai's boys versus the spunky blonde from Suna." Asuma, will it kill you to learn names? "But, you wasn't out for long because the match didn't last that long. Really, it was just a bad matchup considering how talented Kurenai's student is. He and his bugs just got out beaten by that girl's fan. She has great control when it comes to her Wind Release."

 _As soon as the match started, nothing happened. The two competitors just stared at one another._

 _Temari arched an eyebrow. "Are you waiting on me to attack first? Why don't you show me what you are made of?"_

" _Because, I don't think attacking head on is the smart thing to do," Shino cooly replied. "Why? It could be that one mistake that causes me to lose."_

 _Temari sweatdropped. "You're a little weird, you know? The way you talk and how you dress."_

 _Shino doesn't say anything and keeps his hands shoved in his front coat pockets._

 _Temari sighed and flashed out her fan. "Whatever. I don't want to keep standing around and having this staring contest with you. If you won't make the first move, I guess I-" She suddenly widened her eyes, pulled back her fan, and start to scratch her arms. "Damn! Why am I so itchy?"_

 _Shino casually shrugged. "Just because I didn't think it was a good idea for me to attack first doesn't mean my bugs couldn't do the job for me."_

" _B-bugs?!" Temari gasped. She closely examined her arms and her mouth dropped. There was, indeed, an army of bugs currently crawling all over her. "What the-?!" How did all of these bugs get on me without me noticing?!"_

" _Bug are so tiny, they can be simply forgotten at times," Shino answered, low keying speaking about himself to an extend._

 _Temari shuddered and started to flick the bugs from her arms. "So, you play with bugs? Gross. These things are everywhere!" Temari exerted her chakra outwards and a blast of wind came out of her fan, knocking all of the bugs off of her. "And, now they are not."_

 _Shino's eyebrow twitched and sends more bugs after her. Temari pulled out her fan and blows the bus away once more. "You know, you are not going to be able to get to me with those bugs." She gestures to her fan. "You see that moon? There are two more to come. When the third moon is revealed, I will win this match."_

 _Shino remained silent and kept commanding his bugs to go after Temari until the third moon is finally revealed. Temari sighed in a mocking manner. "I told you what would happen when I got to the third moon. Now, you're going to find out! Wind Scythe Jutsu!"_

 _Temari swung her fan and a huge gale swept out and starts to life Shino into the air. The wind is so fast and quick that it is creating small cuts all over his clothes and body. Finally, the wind dies down and Shino fell to the ground, hitting it hard. Temari propped her fan up and leaned on it._

" _Heh. Looks like I won," Temari taunted. "Like I said I would." She widened her eyes. "What?"_

 _Shino's body suddenly turned to an army of bugs and they begun to scatter all over the floor. Temari pulled her fan back out and scanned her surroundings for Shino. He reappeared behind Temari and attempted to punch her. She sensed his presences, turned around, and swiped her fan towards him. Being in close range, the impact from the attack hits Shino hard and he instantly knocks out._

Dang, that is a bad matchup. Shino's bugs cannot get even close to Temari because she can just keeping shooing them away with a flick of her fan. Temari really is a force to be reckoned with. So, that means Gaara and Lee are fighting right now and Neji is automatically advancing to the finals? I bet he is so pissed that he didn't get to fight. While someone like me would be happy with a pardon, he wouldn't be.

Wait… Gaara and Lee are fighting? Now?! I wanted to watch this fight if they were paired up in person! Damn.

I shoot up and dash over to the railing.

"Easy there!" Asuma calls from behind me.

I activated my Byakugan and look up in time to see Lee looming over a injured Gaara in mid-air. Lee has Gaara binded with one of his bandages as Lee prepared himself to land a powerful blow on the jinchūriki. Lee rams his fist into Gaara's stomach.

" _Hidden Lotus_!"

Chills shiver that my spine from witnessing such a great moment as Gaara crashes to the ground hard, causing a huge cloud of dust from the now broken tiled floor. I shield my face as the dust cloud overcomes to whole room. The dust quickly fades away and I see Gaara has landed safely on a large pile of sand, thanks to his gourd, while Lee is laying on the other side of the room.

I sigh and resist the urge to shut my eyes. This is the part when Lee endures tremendous pain from Gaara and I really don't want to see that.

Gaara lifts up his hand and commands his sand to go after Lee. The sand slowly creeps upon poor Lee as Lee struggles to crawl away, falling down in the process. The sand forms into a huge sand hand and it inches closer and closer to Lee as he continues to try and get away from it.

Okay, no! This is not going to happen! I know Lee gets better when Tsunade comes later, but I can't bare to watch Lee get pulverized like this!

I dart over to Guy. "You need to step in! That attack is going to crush his bones if you don't step in! Not just simply break them! Crush!"

Damn. I didn't mean to sound so hysterical.

Guy doesn't say anything to me, or really even look at me, as he continues to stare down at his precious student with a conflicted expression resting on his face. I know he doesn't want to step in because Lee wants to prove to everyone how hard he has worked to get to this point, but he has already proven that to everyone.

Neji flickers his eyes over at me and shakes his head. "You know he isn't going to step in. Lee would be very upset if Guy-sensei did such a thing."

I look at Neji, then at Guy, and then down at Lee. The sand hand is now only a few feet away from Lee as the boy stares at it in disbelief and fright. I clench my fist and jaw. Before I knew what I am doing, I leap into the arena and begin to run towards Gaara.

"I'm interfering!" I shout. "Stop the match! Stop the match!"

As I feel my body run, my mind is totally trying to tell it to stop. Damn it! I'm either really brave or really stupid! Gaara can decide to crush me in a split second if he wants to! Why am I interfering? I was wanting Guy to do so. Not me! I'm not even close to Lee! The boy thinks I look down on him like Neji does for Kami's sake!

A figure jumps in and bats the sand away. I stop running and turn to expect to see Hayate stepping in with a disappointed look towards me on his face. Instead, I see Guy with a strange and intense look on his face. He was looking at me. He was looking at Gaara. Gaara was looking between me and Guy with a slightly confused look on his face. Lee stares up at Guy in shock before passing out. I just stand there, staring at everybody, when Asuma appears next to me.

"I think it is best if you get back up here," he whispers into my ear.

I simply nod and return back up with everyone else.

Everyone is just staring at me and I shift uncomfortably.

"I-I didn't mean to do that," I say, not meeting eye contact with anybody. "My… my body just reacted. It was reckless and stupid of me."

Damn, I still have the nerve to not properly apologize after what I just did.

Nobody knows what to say and Kakashi gives me a look of sadness and understanding. Asuma clamps one hand on my shoulder and squeezes it. "You didn't do anything wrong, Hinata. Lee was going to lose, anyways. You just prevented him from getting gravely injured. Even if he wakes up and is angry with you, he will understand your reasonings deep now."

I look at Asuma, feeling relieved from his words. "That was just a blow that was going to break some bones and knock him out for awhile. That was a possible career ending blow as a Shinobi."

Asuma and Kakashi glance at each other, but nobody else says another word. Which, I don't care because it kind of feels good to admit something that I knew was going to happen and was able to help, somewhat, prevent it.

* * *

After Lee is carried out of the room on a stretcher, followed by Guy, Hayate calls all the winners back to the arena, including Neji. We all make our way down in an orderly fashion, except Naruto who is too excited and decides to jump off the railing. As soon as we get down there, Hayate and the Hokage start to tell us what to expect from the Third Round and the meaning behind it. After so, Anko steps over towards us and she is carrying a small box. She passes the box to each person, having them to pull out the piece of paper inside.

"Alright. Now, each of you will tell us what number you have chosen," the Hokage explains.

Standing first in line beside of Shikamaru, I unfold my piece of paper. "I have the number two."

Damn, does that mean I will be going first? I was kind of wanting to go last so I can avoid fighting at all because of the invasion.

"Seven," Shikamaru says.

"I have the number... three?" Naruto says.

"Number five," Sasuke says.

"I have the number eight!" Ino says.

"I have four," Temari says.

"... Six," Gaara says.

"One," Neji says.

I resist the urge to shoot a glance at Neji. Am I really going to be fighting him?! Initial scribbles something down on the clipboard he is holding and turns it around.

 **First Match: Hyūga Neji vs Hyūga Hinata**

 **Second Match: Uzumaki Naruto vs Temari**

 **Third Match: Uchiha Sasuke vs Gaara**

 **Fourth Match: Nara Shikamaru vs Yamanaka Ino**

Yeah. I get to fight Neji. And, I'm fighting in the first match. Whoopdeeshit.

I finally sneak a glance over at Neji and see he is glancing at me back with a blank expression resting on his face. I wonder what he is thinking? Is he excited to be able to fight me? Is he upset that he has to fight his own cousin? Is he secretly happy because now he gets the chance to beat on me, the heiress and a member of the Main House, without facing any consequences. I shake my head. No, he would never want to do that. He would never feel that way about me. I've already proven to him that I hate the situation he was born into and want to do something about it when I become Head one day.

"What? The Third Exam is going to be a tournament?" Shikamaru asks.

Ino crosses her arms. "I get to fight lazy ass? I don't know if that is a good or bad thing."

Shikamaru shoots her a dirty look. "Yeah, well. I'm not so thrilled about being paired up with you. You're troublesome enough already and now I have to fight you?"

Ino rubs her temples. "Just keep your mouth shut, Ino. You just got rid of your headache."

"Great, I have to fight her? I really wanted someone like Sasuke or Gaara," Naruto complains.

Temari's eyebrow twitches and she glares at Naruto. "You better watch your mouth, brat! I'm going to blow your ass away!"

Sasuke looks over at Gaara and smirks while the redhead doesn't even spare a passing glance back.

Well, Sasuke seems to be the only one excited about their matchup.

The Hokage calms everybody down goes into further detail about the tournament.

"As I said, the tournament will begin in exactly one month from today at two in the afternoon," the Hokage explains. "I advise you all to show up an hour early to beat the crowds so you can get prepared." He stares hard at Naruto for some reason. "Until then, good luck with your training. You are dismissed."

As the proctors and candidates start to walk away, I catch up with Neji. "Well, aren't we unlucky?" I say to him. "Having to go against each other right off the bat."

"I don't see it as bad luck," Neji replies. "It has always been destined for us to fight one another."

What? No, not this crap.

"What do you mean by that?" I ask.

"We used to train and spar each other all the time when we were children," Neji starts. "As we grew older, those moments stop and we began to train and spar with other people."

Okay. This oddly sounds like Neji is trying to compare something we used to do together as two people in a relationship.

"Your father is the Head of our clan. You are the heiress to the Hyūga clan," Neji continues. "My father is your father's younger twin brother by one minute. That means he was forced to be sealed and live in the Branch House and having me, your cousin, to follow the same path the day I was born. You and I are very close, despite living in two separate worlds and despite it being frowned upon by many of our people."

I arch an eyebrow. "I'm still not following."

Neji narrows his eyes. "People like Hiashi-sama, my father, Elder-sama, and many others within our clan have been waiting for a day like this. To see who is the strongest. To see who should have been the true Head. To see who should have been the true heir/heiress. To see who should have been the true anything if not bound by one measly minute."

I tense up. Is this really true? Has my father, the Elder, my uncle… everybody really been waiting for a moment like this to occur? I guess it would make sense if only my father and uncle waited for a moment like this to see who child is stronger just out of a sibling rivalry sort of thing. But, I don't like the reasonings that Neji just listed; if they are true at all.

"In my opinion, a match between us is going to determine who has improved the most since we last sparred," I admit. Then, I smirk. "And, to see which one of us will become a Chunin."

I am a little taken back when Neji doesn't smirk back or lighten up. Shouldn't my reasonings that his reasoning, too?

"Well, that's just it. Your opinion," Neji tells me. "Mine varies."

I narrow my eyes back at him. I don't like where this is going. "Explain."

"I just did," Neji informs me.

I blink. "No you didn't… Wait. Are the things you listed really your opinions?"

Neji sighs. "Not just mine. But, yes."

I widen my eyes. How can he be so casual about this? Why is he thinking like this all of a sudden? He hasn't been acting different towards me. Slightly distance since he got punished by my father for getting caught almost taking a scroll forbidden to anybody but a member of the Main House. Other than now, we have, like always, been great. Or, so I think.

"Are you serious?" I whisper, trying to keep myself calm. "Why are you saying those things? Why are those even a reason for you to fight me?"

Neji looks away. "I have no more to say. I should be going. You should get some rest, Hinata."

He walks off and I do not go after him, only staring a hole through his back before trudging towards my team.

Something else must've happen to Neji that is making him think such ill things. Those things should not be a reason out all for wanting to fight me. He doesn't seem angry at me, but I'm afraid he might take out all of his pent up anger towards our clan on me during our fight. If he does such a thing, it is going to take all of my strength to forgive him and bring him out of the dark because that is the path his mind is slowly walking on right now. I guess words are not going to sway his mind or realize he is speaking in bullshit. We are just going to have to duke it out Hyūga style.

And, here I was wanting to not try my best in my match so I can avoid being a Chunin. Looks like I'm going to have to try my best now because I'm fighting Neji and almost the whole clan is possibly going to be there to watch that.

Hoofuckingray.

 **Author's Note: So…. I hope you don't hate this chapter as much as I do. I have rewritten it three times and I'm still not happy with it but it is complete so I am just turning it in and hoping you guys enjoyed it. I know I said that I would have the Chunin Exam Arc done by the end of last year, but my job had me work a lot and this chapter gave me many problems. But, I made it extra long! And, what is Neji's problem? He needs to back off! Tell me what you guys think of this chapter!**

 **Question: Would you have done what OC Hinata done relating to Lee? I don't know if I would considering I would be scared of Gaara, but OC tends to have a habit of putting other people before herself.**


	24. Chapter 24: Chunin Exams Arc: Training

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or he would've learned more than just Summoning Jutsu during this time of his life.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Chunin Exam Arc: Training Period**

 **Chapter twenty-four**

"So, you cannot start training until three days from now?" my father asks.

I nod. "Yes, sir."

After my talk with Neji, I regrouped with Team Ten and we headed off to the hospital. Surprisingly, the Tower had an underground tunnel connected to some room inside of the hospital. I assume since the Forest of Death is used a lot for Chunin Exams and extreme training that it would make sense to create a quick path back to Konoha. There is no need for somebody who is injured to travel back through a forest crawling with large and dangerous animals.

When we got to the hospital, we were instantly ushered into the infirmary to get checked out. We didn't have to wait in a waiting room or anything so I guess one of the perks of being a Shinobi is that you get checked out first? The medical Shinobi were very kind and patient with us, despite being busy with having to take care of other patients, and we were out of there within a couple of hours. My nurse had ordered me to not participate in any training for three days so that my wrist can properly and fully heal. My wrist would've taken less time to heal if I had not used it during my fight with Tenten, which I had to if I wanted to win. In the meantime, I have a wrist brace on to keep it in place.

My father paces back and forth. Currently, we are in our training room.

"That pushes things back a bit," he mumbles. "You can do a lot in three days, but the days off are necessary in order for you to heal." He stops walking and faces me. "For now, we can come up with a routine for you to do everyday over the next month. As you may already assumed, I will be watching over your training. Especially since you have to go against one of our own during your first match and Neji-san, I must admit, is a very talented individual. He is going to be training just as hard as you over the next month and he is already going to have a three day head start."

I recall back the words Neji said to me earlier, " _People like Hiashi-sama, my father, Elder-sama, and many others within our clan have been waiting for a day like this. To see who is the strongest. To see who should have been the true Head. To see who should have been the true heir/heiress. To see who should have been the true anything if not bound by one measly minute."_

Is he wanting to train me because he wants me to improve myself as a Shinobi so I have what it takes to defeat someone like Neji or for the reasons my cousin listed off? Typically, I would ask but then I might somehow end up getting Neji in trouble or getting into some argument that I really don't want to have. I really need my father to train me and I would like to train with him under good conditions, not a tense and negative one.

"Do you have anything in mind that I should improve upon or you want to teach me?" I ask.

My father arches an eyebrow. "That depends. How about you tell me about this new technique you have kept hidden that I have been hearing about?"

When in the world was he in a position for someone to tell him about my fight with Tenten? I mean, it's only been a few hours! Did Asuma inform him? Perhaps Neji? He wasn't hurt so he got to go home sooner than I.

"It is just something I came up with and have been perfecting for the past three months. I have just recently mastered it," I admit. "Though, I think it might be better if I demonstrated the technique for you rather than simply explaining it with words."

"You can't use your wrist," my father reminds me.

I slump my shoulders. "Oh, yeah. Well, I guess I can give you an idea how it goes by showing you with one hand and explaining it."

My father nods in approval. "Show me."

He steps out of the way to give me some space. I raise my left hand up and start to slowly wave it around my whole body as chakra blades juts out of my palm. It slices up the air as I keep moving my hand around, deflecting invisible enemies and weapons. As I do so, I explain to him the details of the _Protective Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms._ The whole time my father is studying me with an intense expression resting on his face, enhancing his already serious features.

"One of the main reasons I came up with this technique is because I was struggling with learning _Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation_ ," I inform my father. "Since I have been altering the Gentle First fighting style to acconamdete my needs and body for years now, I thought I would just continue doing so."

My father rubs his chin. "I see. How interesting. Such a technique is useful to have in an arsenal like yours. I like the idea of being able to use it offensive and defensively. I can see now how you were able to go against someone who specializes in bukijutsu. Speaking of that match, I heard you impressed some people."

I widen my eyes. "Really?"

Like who?

My father gives me a small smile. "I would not have told you that if it were not true. But, let's not get sidetracked."

"Yes, sir," I say. "Anyways, a downside to my technique is that I can only use it three times in a battle before I am completely exhausted."

"Hmm," my father hums. "So, are you implying that you want to improve on your stamina?"

I nod. "I would like to, yes."

My father picks up the clipboard and pen that he had laid on the ground when we first entered the room and starts to scribble something down on it. "Alright, that is one thing we can focus on. Improving your stamina will help more than just your new technique."

"I have also been thinking of a way on how to make the _Protective Eight Trigrams_ better," I tell my father. "Whenever I use the technique offensively, I would like to be able to somehow manipulate the chakra blade to move in any direction besides going straight. Like, be able to make it curve and such. When I shoot out a chakra blade now, my opponent can just easily leap out of the way to avoid getting hit."

"I understand where you are going with this," my father says. "You have the chakra control to be able to handle such a feat, but you need the proper instructor to help you out."

I raise my eyebrows. "Are you not able to help me out?"

My father shakes his head. "I can with more time, but I have other things in mind I would like to work with you. Now, if you are up for extra training during the day, you could ask your sensei to work with you or have him find someone for you. I am sure he will."

"Asuma-sensei pretty much forced himself upon Shikamaru and is spending the month training him," I notify my father. "But, I can still go ask and see if he knows of anybody that is willing to train me."

"Ah." My father knows how lazy Shikamaru can be so I do not need to explain any further. "Well, I was planning on training you from early morning until the early afternoon so you can have the afternoon and part of the evening as a break to allow you to train on your own Then, at night we will have a short recap of the day before your retire for the night. You can use that empty time slot, if you find somebody, to work on your chakra control."

Great, leave it to my father to want to wake me up at the butt ass crack of dawn and train me for hours and hours until lunch. If I find somebody else to work with me, that will mean that my whole entire day, and pretty much month, will be nothing but training. I will be eating, sleeping, and breathing the word training by the time the Third Exam rolls around. Though, it will all be worth it if I meet all of my goals and whatever else my father has in mind.

"Anyways," my father continues. "I would like for you to focus on practicing expanding your vision, teach you a minor technique that almost everybody in our clan is able to quickly learn, and then I am going to teach you another technique that only members of the Main House is allowed to learn. It is called _Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms_."

"You… you think I can learn that technique with all the other things I am going to be juggling?" I question in disbelief. "I mean, I am not undermining your faith in me. I appreciate it, actually. But, you know how long it took me to master the _Thirty-Two Palms._ "

I remember my father telling me he learned the _Eight Trigrams: Thirty-Two Palms_ when he was eleven while I was twelve.

My father nods. "True, you did take awhile to learn the _Thirty-Two Palms_. Longer than I expected for you to. However, if you are able to come up with a brand new technique and master it within three months, and you are already wanting to upgrade, then I believe you can learn the _Sixty-Four Palms_ in less than a month along with your other training."

Well, then. If he truly thinks that I can handle all of this then I am going to make it my top priority to not let him down!

"What is that other thing you was talking about teaching me?" I ask.

"It is called _Gentle Fist Art: Body Blow_ ," my father tells me. "It is a simple move. All you have to do is expel chakra from every tenketsu on your body and you can hit your opponent with a blast of chakra if they are close enough to you. It is best to use in situations if they have their arms wrapped around you in a tight grip or if you are bound by anything, including anything chakra encoded."

Wow, that might come in handy.

"Oh! I think this will be easy for me to learn," I say. "It is just like when I am about to perform _Rotation_. Except, I do not expel as much chakra and I am not spinning."

"Correct," my father replies. "With your chakra control, I am positive you will have it down pat in a day or two tops. Plus, even though you have an alternative, I am hoping by mastering the _Body Blow_ you will be able to master the _Rotation_ , It would not hurt to know two great defensive moves."

I mean, I will keep that in mind. But, I really have no interest in learning _Rotation_ if I already have an alternative that suits me better. I can put my time and effort into improving my _Protective Eight Trigrams_ instead of struggling with _Rotation_. My father can just teach that technique to Hanabi when is she capable of learning so.

* * *

The next afternoon, I head out to the Sixth Training Ground in search of Shikamaru and Asuma so I can see if Asuma knows anybody that can train me. I stopped by Shikamaru's place to see if he had already left for training and his mother informed me of their whereabouts. I don't know why he's always complaining about her. She seems like a very nice lady. Would someone as laid back as Shikamaru's father really marry the woman that Shikamaru's describes his mother out to be?

I find Shikamaru laying on the ground as he watches the clouds while Asuma is leaning against a tree, smoking.

"Isn't it dangerous to smoke that close to a tree? You could catch it on fire," I scold Asuma and then eyed my teammate. "And, what is this? Your fourth break or something?"

"Damn, you've only been here five seconds and you already sound like my mom," Shikamaru complains, not bothering to look at me.

"Well, I did just come from your house because I asked her where you guys were. I guess she's already tainted me. Now, you have to stick with my newfound nagging foreverrrrrr!" I wave my arms around in the air for dramatic effect.

"Newfound? It isn't good to lie, you know?" Shikamaru retorts. I drop my hands and frown as Asuma let's out a snort. "Wait. Sorry. I'm getting you and Sakura mixed up." I cross my arms. He sits up and scratches the back of his neck. "Eh, please don't tell her I said that."

I shrug. "Okay. But, I'm going to use it as blackmail."

Shikamaru plops back down on the ground and replies in a monotone voice, "I'm so scared."

I playfully roll my eyes and walk over to Asuma. "I would apologize for intruding, but it looks like you guys are not busy at the moment. So, I have a small request."

"For your information, we have done plenty today," Asuma mildly protests. "But, what do you want?" I tell him my request and he ponders for a moment. "Hmmm, I'm not sure. Let me see what I can do and come by here tomorrow around one and I will give you an answer then."

I nod my head. At least he didn't say no. "Thank you!"

"No problem," Asuma says. "If I do find someone, which I am not making any promises, are you going to be able to handle the pressure of training between two instructors for a month straight? All day, everyday?"

I narrow my eyes. "Are you trying to discourage me?"

Asuma shrugs. "I just don't want you to overdo yourself. I know you can handle it physically, but what about mentally? I don't want stress and pressure getting to you and you have a breakdown."

Okay, I think he's implying about my father. I have told Asuma enough about my training days with my father to know that he's worried about me spending a whole month straight doing nothing but training with the strict man. Can I do it? Yes, I think I can. Am I going to be stressed and frustrated at times? Of course. That is normal. But, I am not going to give up just because I make a mistake or I am tired of my father giving me corrections. I am going to improve and get stronger. I am going to show Neji, my father, and everybody in my clan that I am strong enough to be their leader one day and not in the ways they expect me to be. I am going to show Orochimaru and his minions how serious I am about him not taking Sasuke away from us. I dare the serpent to lay one finger on him.

Okay… maybe I wouldn't do that. I'm not ready enough to dare Orochimaru to do anything yet.

I give Asuma a reassuring smile. "Thank your for your concern, but I will be alright."

Asuma smirks. "Alrighty, kiddo. If you say so. Like I said, just swing by the tomorrow and I will let you know something."

I nod. "If you find someone, I will be happy and honored with whoever it is."

* * *

I blink. Ebisu? Ebisu is going to be my second instructor for the next month? Are you freaking kidding me?! He hates Naruto and he's a closet pervert! Naruto has whined to me about the man so many times I practically know the guy and this is my first time meeting him!

I am not feeling happy and honored right now.

However, I do not let my true feelings show and I politely smile and bow instead. "Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to train me, sensei."

Ebisu nods and looks over at Asuma. "She seems more well-mannered and pleasant than the other boy despite them being so close. Are you sure this isn't an act?"

Psshhh. Are you sure you are not an act when it comes to being an elite Shinobi? I mean, you let Naruto get the best of you so bad that he decided to switch instructors.

My eyebrows twitch as Asuma rests a hand on my shoulder. "You don't have to worry about her. She is the hardest working student on this team."

My eyebrows twitch again. I would accept that as a compliment if for the fact I didn't have lazy ass Shikamaru on my team or Sakura, who works hard but then gets tired easily and sometimes complains.

Ebisu adjusts his glasses. "Well, she is a Hyūga and they tend to be respectable and take their training seriously so I will not doubt your word."

Asuma nods. "Alright. Well, I got to get back to training my other student. You two have fun." He flicks out two fingers as a parting message and strolls off.

As soon as Asuma is gone, I glance over at Ebisu. "Did Asuma-sensei tell you about my goal or do I need to tell you?"

"He told me, yes," Ebisu replies. "But, first, I want to witness with my own eyes just how great your chakra control really is."

I resist the urge to smack him. "Oh, I am sorry," I say in fake politeness. "I thought Asuma-sensei told you about my wrist. I am not allowed to start training until tomorrow."

Ebisu sighs. "I already know about it. There are various chakra exercises you can show me that doesn't involve your wrist."

Humph, find then Mister Know It All. I thought you was talking about performing my technique since, you know, my goal involves improving it and all.

Without waiting on a signal to go, I walk up the nearest tree easily. I drop down and decide to run up the tree this time around. I drop down once more and faced Ebisu. Ebisu nods his head, but I can't tell how he is really feeling behind though glasses of his.

"Can you walk on water?"

I respond with a yes and he leads to a couple of Training Grounds over until a small pond is insight. He points at it. "I want you to walk across this pond two time and then run across it once."

Please. This is child's play.

I do as I am told and return by Ebisu's side once again.

"I will admit you have near perfect chakra control for a Genin," Ebisu tells me and I frown.

Near perfect? I'm pretty sure it is perfect. If there is anything I am confident about, it is my damn chakra control. I have been working on that shit since I was five.

Ebisu pushes up his glasses. "Is there something wrong?"

I curl in my lips and shake my head. "No, sir."

Ebisu presses on. "I bet you are used to others being impressed by your chakra control. Me saying it was near perfect is a slap in the face. Am I correct?"

No, but you would be correct if you had said that I wanted to slap your face.

I keep my expression blank and just stare at him. "I will accept any constructive criticism or correction you may give me and work harder to fix my mistakes and flaws."

Ebisu pauses for a second, seeming unsure on how to respond since I really didn't react to his comment at all or answer his question. I know he is testing me to see if I am just like your average hot headed, cocky Rookie Niner who thinks they know everything. He's not going to get under my skin as easily as he gets under Naruto's.

"I suppose you have proven yourself to me that you are capable enough for me to train you," Ebisu finally says. Oh, you suppose? I hate you. "Starting tomorrow, we will be meeting here at the Eighth Training Ground everyday at two and train for three hours until further notice. Is there any questions or concerns?"

I plaster a fake smile on my face and shake my head. "No, sir!"

* * *

Later that night, I lay on my bed and stare at the schedule that my father has written out for me.

 _6:00am-7:00am: Wake up, eat breakfast, and perform daily morning routines_

 _7:00am-12:00pm: Morning Training_

 _12:00pm-2:00pm: Lunch and Break_

 _2:00pm-5:00pm: Afternoon Training at the Eighth Training Grounds_

 _5:00pm-6:00pm: Wash up and dinner_

 _6:00om-7:30pm: Free Time_

 _7:30pm-8:30pm: Evening Recap/Warmup_

 _8:30pm-10:00pm: Free Time/Getting ready for bed/Going to bed_

 _10:00pm-6:00am: Sleep_

Ehhh, this doesn't look as bad as I thought it was going to be. I get small breaks throughout the day, waking up at six in the morning is a reasonable hour, and I will be getting around eight to nine hours of sleep every day night, depending what time I go to bed. I can use my breaks to rest my body so it can prepare for the next round of training while preparing for a plan to deal with the upcoming invasion. The only thing that sucks is that I am not going to have much of a social life for the next month since my schedule is jammed packed. But, I will survive. It is only for a month. Plus, I will have Hanabi around if I get tired of seeing my father's face. She always enjoys the time I spend with her.

A yawn threatens to escape from my throat and I allow it to do so. Might as well get some shut eye since morning will be here bright and early. I set the piece of paper on the nightstand beside of my bed and slid underneath my blankets. I roll to one side and shut my eyes, quickly drifting off to sleep.

* * *

"Hinata! Look alive!" my father snaps as I fall to the ground.

I take back what I said last night when I said "this isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be". It is. I have been training for four hours straight now, I'm exhausted, and I'm annoyed. I'm not used to getting up this early and I just want it to be noon already. My father is acting like I should already have the _Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms_ down pat when he just started teaching me it two hours ago. We had spent the first two hours working on expanding my Byakugan and my _Gentle Fist Art: Body Blow_. He was in a good mood then, perhaps since I basically learned that simple technique in a couple of hours and all I have to do now is work on it, but now is in a pissy one since I am, apparently, not picking up as fast as he hoped I would.

"Hinata!" my father repeats. "On your feet!" I take a deep breathe and push myself up, sweat running all over me and drenching my body. "Come at me, again!"

I nod and get into the proper stance for the _Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms_. I lean forward and slide my right leg out in front of me, making sure not to completely straighten it, while I bend my back leg for support. I extend my right arm out in front of me, lowering it, and laying my hand flat so my palms were facing the sky. I repeat the same process with my left arm except I lift it up behind me. My father has been knocking me down if one little thing is not perfect with my stance so I am being careful. As soon as I am perfectly, in my opinion, in my stance, my father strikes me and I stumble backwards, making sure I do not fall.

"Your stance was correct this time, but you were too slow sliding into it!" my father firmly tells me.

I nod my head for the millionth time that morning and quickly, but cautiously, slide into my stance. My father swiftly looks at me up and down and rushes forward again to attack me.

What now?!

Anger surges through me for a split second and I twirl out of the way on my feet. My father slightly widens his eyes in surprise at my reaction. I do not stop there. I spin around so my body is facing him and I command my chakra to travel to every tenketsu throughout my body. As so as it does, I expel a small blast of chakra out, allowing myself to get a few feet away from my father. I get into a defensive position and glare at him as his body pushes forward from the force of my chakra blast, but his feet is firmly planted on the ground. He slowly turns around and narrows his eyes at me. Realizing what I had just done, I drop my guard but my glare does not go away.

Instead of getting mad or rushing towards me to counterattack, my father sighs instead. "I am going to go ahead and cut our training short since we only have thirty minutes left. Go off and reflect and I will see you this evening." He walks out of the room before giving me a chance to speak.

I let out a frustrated shout and collapse onto my bottom, breathing heavily for air.

I swear, that man is the only person in this entire world who is capable enough to make me lose my cool like that. I'm surprised he didn't retaliate. My father isn't a violent person, but I just figured he would have. I kind of wished he had. At least it would have giving me the brief courage to attempt to strike back for a short while to get rid of all this frustration. It is only day one and I'm already feeling like this? Maybe Asuma did have a good reason for being concerned about me.

After washing up, I eat a quick lunch and lock myself in my room to start scribbling down plans. I don't have a clear cut plan at the moment, but my main goal is to prevent from as much casualties as possible and to not allow Sasuke into Orochimaru's clutches. I have this strange feeling that the invasion is not going to go the exact way it went down in the anime/manga, so I need to cover all of my bases. Right now, the things that have changed is that Sasuke doesn't have the Curse Mark, Dosu is dead, Zaku is most likely dead, captured by Anbu, or back with Orochimaru, Kin is definitely in Konoha's hands, we fought Kabuto's team in the Forest of Death, that team never showed to the Tower, and Kankuro will not be participating in the Third Exam since he got defeated by Naruto. Though, if I remember correctly, I think he forfeits his match anyways so I don't think that last part involving him is going to really change anything. However, I beleive everything else might. I mean, who knows why Kabuto's team never showed up or where Zaku really is?

I take note of all of this, close my notebook, and stuff it in the back of closet within a coat pocket. This is good enough information for now and nobody is going to be searching my room, especially my closet, for anything so I am in the clear.

As soon as the clock reads 1:40pm, I stretch and hurry on over to the Eighth Training Ground where Ebisu is already waiting on me. He retrieves a timer from his pocket and glanced down at it as I arrive.

"You are five minutes early," he informs me as he slides the timer back in his pocket. "At least someone has taught you to be punctual."

Dude, if you are still lowkey talking about Naruto cut it out. His sensei is Kakashi. The guy's lateness is bound to rub off on Naruto at times. And, since Konohamaru hangs around Naruto I bet the boy is late to Ebisu's teachings occasionally.

Ahhhh. The small circle of that life.

"So, you are wanting to know how you can manipulate your chakra blades to move in any direction?" Ebisu clarifies and I nod. "Can you demonstrate your technique for me real quick?"

Since I am able to use both of my hands now, I happily show him the _Protective Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms_ without worrying about damaging my wrist or getting knocked around by my father. This is my move and I'm the only one who knows how it works correctly.

I finish my technique and wait for Ebisu's feedback. "Interesting technique."

I hold up my hand and a chakra blade shoots out. "While that is how my technique works, I want to be able to move around my chakra blades to my liking when I want to go on the offensive."

"I understand," Ebisu tells me as I retract my chakra blade. He quickly waves his hands. "No. Expel it back out!" I obey him. "Good. See how you are easily able to summon a chakra blade out without much thought? Now, I want you to visualize that blade curving to the left. Your opponent has dodged your head on attack, but you want to curve your blade to the left to land a hit. As you visualize this, I want you to exert our a little bit of your energy into controlling your chakra blade. Not too much. Only a little bit and I say that because you want to be able to effortlessly control your chakra blade as you can conjuring it out."

I hesitate. "So, I just visualize, concrete, exert out some energy, and just keep doing so until it follow my command?"

Ebisu nods. "Yes."

Well, good thing my father is focusing on building up my stamina because this is going to require a shit ton if I have to keep rinsing and repeating.

I stare down at my chakra blade and I focus all of my attention on it. I start to visualize Orochimaru standing in front of me. He dodges my attack, but I surprise him by curving my chakra blade to the left and it stabs right through his damn heart. As I visualize this scene over and over again, I start to pour out a small amount of energy into my chakra blade and attempting to control it. As I spend the next few minutes doing so, I never take my eyes off my target and I continue to visualize myself stabbing the shit out of Orochimaru.

"Let's take a five minute break," Ebisu abruptly says, breaking me out of my trance.

I snap my head towards him, slightly annoyed. "Already?"

Ebisu nods and hands me a water bottle from the bag he had brought with him. "It has been an hour already."

I blink. "An hour? That went by fast."

I guess I was in the zone.

"Do you feel tired?" Ebisu asks as I take a swig of my water.

I swallow. "No, I feel fine."

Ebisu nods. "Excellent. That means you are exerting just the right amount of energy."

I cock my head to the side. "I know it might make me tire out faster, but would it hurt if I push out a little bit more energy to speed up the process?"

Ebisu shakes his head. "Not unless you want to exhaust all of your chakra within the first hour. You are forgetting that you are constantly emitting out this chakra blade. That is slowly draining your chakra as you do so. Plus, you have to take into consideration that you just trained with your father this morning. You do not want to overdo yourself."

At this rate, I feel like it is going to take me two weeks before I am able to slightly move my chakra blade. Though, I know I am overreacting a little bit because it has only been an hour.

Suddenly, an idea pops in my head.

"Do you think I will be able to move my chakra blade at a faster rate if I also trained with a Shadow Clone?" I ask. "You know, if one Shadow Clone and I train the exact same way for one hour it is really like I have been training for two hours."

"Let me see how tired you are by the end of this session before I makeup my mind," Ebisu replies. "It may seem like a good idea, but you are going to be losing chakra faster if you train with a Shadow Clone since you will be splitting your chakra resources in half."

"Yes, sir," I say, setting my water bottle on the ground.

"Well, I see you are eager to jump back into training," Ebisu says. "Let's get back to it then, shall we?"

By the end of my session with Ebisu, I had not made any progress though Ebisu insists that I have. Before I left for the day, he granted me permission to train with a Shadow Clone tomorrow but if I show any early signs of being tired I must get rid of it immediately. Also, he ordered that I am not allowed to train with a Shadow Clone unless it is under his supervision until further notice.

My evening warm up with my father was not as intense as my morning session with him. It really was just a recap of our day. I told him about my afternoon training session with Ebisu, he told me what he expects out of me during tomorrow's session with him, we did some stretches and meditating, and then I was sent off my way.

Now, I am sitting at my desk after my shower and staring blankly at my notebook, reviewing the notes I wrote earlier today. I am also trying to remember what exactly went on during the invasion. If I recall, Orochimaru disguised himself as the Kazekage, because he murdered him, and did not start attacking the village until after Gaara got hurt from Sasuke and was starting to freak out. Kabuto uses some kind of genjutsu as a distraction and knocks most of the audience in the arena out. The Hokage and Orochimaru end up fighting within a barrier that other minions of his creates.

Okay, so we have Sakura who is resistance to genjutsu and Shikamaru and I have built up enough of a resistance because of Sakura to repel many genjutsus. So, I don't have to worry about that. Sakura and Shikamaru will naturally help out and release the genjutsu for nearby friends.

Hmmm, the thing I kind of want to prevent from happening is the barrier. I don't exactly remember who puts up the barrier, if it is even relevant at all. But, I will need to keep an eye out to see if there is anybody lurking near Orochimaru and the Hokage when the invasion is about to begin. Maybe I could attack them or attempt to fight them, even just for a split second. A lot can happen in that second. A second, a minute, five minutes. Any measure of time will be good time if it favors us and helps out the Hokage. Without the barrier, the Anbu and other Jounin will be able to fight along with the Hokage. They might not be able to defeat or capture Orochimaru, but this may bait Kabuto into jumping in to help his master and we can capture him instead and the Third doesn't have to die! Or, the Third could still use that one jutsu to exchange his soul for sealing Orochimaru's arms and Kabuto will not be there as his medic to take care and fight for him. Plus, capturing Kabuto will prevent some terrible things from happening in the future.

I finish writing and look down at my notes once more. I wish I had a clear cut plan already in mind, but at least I am clearing my thoughts and getting things down on paper. It is a good start. I have a lot of time within the next few weeks to come up with a plan.

* * *

I would say the first week went by quickly, but it didn't. It dragged on and on. On the second day, I successfully trained with my Shadow Clone without any problems. Because of my training with the Shadow Clone, I was able to manipulate my chakra blade to move to the left on the third day. And, not just slightly either! It curved like a little snake and I was actually able to extend my chakra blade somehow and allow it to travel around for a second or two before I reached my limit. Ebisu didn't admit it, but I knew he was proud of me.

My morning training sessions with my father have improved some. He isn't knocking me around so rough anymore, but he is still harshly giving me corrections. I have started to get the hang of the _Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms_ by the sixth day. I can slip into the stand perfectly and swiftly on command, but I am having trouble not actually performing the attack. It is like my body suddenly freezes up or I feel suddenly tired after doing the first thirty-two strikes. My father told me that my body is slowly transitioning and getting used to taking that extra step and that is why it is reacting like that. The positive things that are coming out of my morning sessions with my father are that my vision is slowly expanding, I am perfecting the _Gentle Fist Art: Body Blow_ , and I can do the _Protective Eight Trigrams_ three times in one sessions without feeling totally wiped out though I still can't do it a fourth time just yet. But, I am getting there.

On the eighth day of my training, my afternoon session with Ebisu is cut short when an Anbu suddenly appears out of nowhere.

"Hokage-sama would like to see you in his office at once," the Anbu informs me and this poofs away before I can ask any questions.

I suppose I am not in any trouble if the Anbu isn't escorting me to his office though it must be important if he wants to see me at once.

My Shadow Clone and I glance over at Ebisu and he clears his throat. "Well, I suppose we will pick things right back up tomorrow at two. You don't want to keep Hokage-sama waiting."

I nod and my Shadow Clone poofs into thin air. I thank Ebisu for his time today and start to make my way to the Hokage's office.

I wonder what he wants with me?

 **Author's Note: I know not much happened in this chapter, but you just have to have the small break in between the Second and the Third Exam. At OC Hinata is learning from pretty cool things, but can she have all of her goals met by the end of the month? Can she master these new things while coming up with a good enough plan to deal with Orochimaru?**


	25. Chapter 25: Chunin Exams Arc: Training

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Chunin Exams Arc: Training Period**

 **Chapter twenty-five**

Many thoughts flood my mind as I walk up the stairs that lead to the Administrative building. Why would the Hokage want to see me? The last two times I met with the Hokage it was because I had a run in with Itachi and Mizuki. So, this meeting with him might be about my experience with Orochimaru in the Forest of Death? I mean, it makes sense because they should want to know all the details of what happened so they can attempt to stay a few steps ahead of his plans. If that is the case, then I should not be the only person he is wanting to speak with. Naruto, Sasuke, Ino, Sakura, and Shikamaru would have to talk to the Hokage, too, if they have already not. Maybe the members of my team are waiting on me right now so we can tell our stories together? However, I feel like if this meeting is about Orochimaru then they must have not gotten any information out of Kin. Which, I would not be surprised since Orochimaru's minions tend to be very loyal to him.

I walk up to the front desk and told the dark haired receptionist my name. She immediately allows me pass and I head towards the Hokage's off. I approach the door and slowly knock on it, trying to get rid of my nerves. Even though the Sandaime is a good guy and isn't going to hurt me, it is always nerve racking, at least to me, when I am in his presence.

Perks of being a reincarnated girl with prior knowledge of this universe. I am always trying not to let that part of me slip out.

"You may come in," an elder voice from beyond the door says.

I open the door, step in, and freeze on the spot. Sitting just across the room from me, along with the Hokage, is Danzō and the other two members of the Konoha Council.

Why… the… FUCK are they here?!

An Anbu appears behind me and closes the door for me and I just continue standing there. Danzō and I meet eyes and I try to keep my facial features neutral and calm.

Why? Why? Why are they here? Especially Danzō. Seriously? Have they figured me out?! I have been so careful!

Danzō continues to stare me down. "Is there a problem, Miss Hyūga?

Shit! Why is he talking to me?!

I try my best to swiftly recover from my shock, shake my head, and bow. "No, sir. I apologize. I was just momentarily startled. I was only expecting Hokage-sama."

Danzō keeps his expression stern as the Hokage gives me a warm and welcoming smile. "You're fine, Hinata. I should be the one apologizing myself for summoning you on such a short notice. I know you are very busy preparing for the final round of the Chunin Exams."

I nod. "It is not a problem., Hokage-sama." I cock my head innocently to the side. "Is there something wrong?"

Don't make contact with Danzō and the others. Just focus your attention on the Hokage until one of them directly speaks to you.

The Hokage clears his throat and presses his fingers together. "It is just a small matter. I am just wanting to hear about your experience in the Forest of Death during the Second Exam of the Chunin Exams. It is just protocol that we get all the information we can since you came across a S-ranked nukenin."

I resist the urge to let out a sigh of relief. So, I was originally right. He just wants to talk about Orochimaru. Nothing more. But, if it is nothing more than why are the others here? Do they all have to be present during these hearings so they can discuss what to do next? I guess that would make sense, but I do not like them being here.

"Are we just waiting for the other Genin that were involved as well before we start?" I ask.

The Hokage shakes his head. "Since you all had different experiences during your moments with and related to the nukenin then it is just best for all of us to call you all in individually so we can get everything in an orderly fashion."

At least I am not the only being called in. I feel bad for someone like Shikamaru who has to waste his time to come up here. He was literally knocked out for both fights so he doesn't have much information to give.

"Oh, okay," I say. "Do you want me to start from when we first entered the forest?"

"You can start wherever you feel is necessary," the Hokage replies.

Well, in that case, I will just backtrack slightly and start with the First Exam. That way, I can nonchalantly throw some attention on Kabuto about his shady card act. I am throwing it out there because he isn't on anyone's radar at the moment since Kakashi was never able to confront him since Sasuke didn't receive the Curse Mark, which is a downside. But, it still relates to Orochimaru because he was the Kusa Shinobi that I decided to ask about with the cards and he,later, revealed himself as actually being Orochimaru.

I spend the next twenty to thirty minutes telling my long tale. As I tell my story, I try to read the looks on everybody's face whenever I appropriately flickered my eyes at them. They do not show much of a reaction other than a blank stare. However, I feel like Danzō is staring sort of too hard at me though that could be my paranoia setting in. After I tell my story, I take a deep breathe and wait for their feedback.

After a long pause of soaking everything in and writing down some notes on their notepads, Danzō breaks the silence. "I find it a little intriguing that you seemed a little too prepared for your run in with Orochimaru."

Wait, what? After everything I just told him, he decides to focus on that small detail? Of course he would.

The Hokage sends him a dirty look, but I quickly jump in to explain myself. "After I passed the First Exam, meeting Anko-sensei, and hearing her tell us to meet at a disclosed location at eleven the next morning, I feel like the Second Exam was going to be some sort of survival challenge. I didn't know what to expect so I went ahead and warned all of my friends to pack a bag as if they were going to go on a mission for a day or two just incase my hunch was correct."

Danzō almost seems to be scowling now. "That was very… thoughtful of you."

I don't understand Danzō right now. Is he trying to get me to admit something? Does he suspect me of something for some strange, unknown reason? To my knowledge, I haven't done anything negative, or really even super positive, to attract the attention of Danzō, the Konoha Council, or the Hokage. This is just a simple meeting to gather information since I am one of the victims.

The elder woman with her grey hair pulled back into a bun speaks next. "Why did you decide to pinpoint Orochimaru under his disguise when their were many other Shinobi in the room to choose from? From what I am hearing, he was pretty blended in with the crow on the other side of the room."

These people are unbelievable. Why are they questioning my actions instead of worrying about Orochimaru's?

I shrug. "I honestly just chose him at random. When I was searching the room for someone with my Byakugan, I was instantly drawn to his presence. I suppose I was not able to sense it from far away, but I sense something intense and slightly dark about him when I focused my attention on him."

The elder woman makes a humming sound, but simply nods and says nothing more. I glance over at the elder gentleman with the glasses to see if he is going to make a comment about my actions next, but he remains quite. Smart choice because I have all kinds of responses already thought up for any question they want to ask me.

The Hokage looks at his former teammates and sighs. "I am sorry if they are coming across as not trusting you. Like I mentioned, we just trying to get all the information we possibly can and have everything clarified."

I give him a reassuring smile even though I want to strangle everyone in the room but him. "No, it is fine. I fully understand. Is there anything else you would like to know?"

The Hokage shakes his head. "I do not need anything more from you unless anyone does."

I scan my eyes around at the members of the Konoha Council, but they keep their lips zipped.

"Before this meeting ends, I actually have a question if I may ask it?" I inform the Hokage. He nods, giving me permission to do so. "The girl that was removed from our company when we arrived to the Tower, what happened to her?"

The Hokage's mouth forms a straight line. "Unfortunately, I am not able to disclose such information currently while this investigation is ongoing."

Well, you're no help.

I nod in understanding. "I understand."

The Hokage's warm smile returns. "You are free to go now, Hinata, if you do not have anymore questions or concerns."

I bow. "Thank you."

And then, I turn on my heel and leave the room. Once I am in the hallway, I flee for my life.

Ugh! That was terrible! I wanted to vomit up my nerves the whole entire time! Why were Danzō and that old lady asking such questions to me? I haven't done anything wrong! I bet that other old guy suspects me of whatever even though he didn't say much of anything. I hope the Hokage doesn't perceive me the same ways as the other three, whatever feelings that might be. He didn't act any different towards me so maybe he doesn't. Either way, I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing but be more cautious. I don't know about the other two, but Danzō has his little Root minions and he could send them out to spy on me if he wants to. Not that they would find anything interesting since I do most of my planning internally or in the privacy of my room and nobody is stupid enough to set foot within a clan's compound like mine with the intention of spying.

Speaking of spying on me, an eerie sensation suddenly runs of my spine and I casually activate my Byakugan as I make my way down the stairs and away from the building. I scan my surroundings and extended my vision as far as I can to see if I see anything out of the ordinary, but I do not. Strange, I have this strange feeling that someone is watching me, but I do not see anyone suspicious. It must be my damn paranoia again.

Curiously, I attempt to sneak a peek into the Hokage's office, but I am not able to. Huh, I guess they must have a jutsu or a seal that prevents the Byakugan from seeing in. I guess when you're the Hokage you need such things for your protection and privacy.

I scan my surroundings once more before deactivating my Byakugan and heading home.

* * *

Nothing different or preferably exciting happens until six days later, on the fourteenth day of my training, when I decide to have a change of scenery and head into the village for some lunch. I just had a pretty good morning session with my father, one of the more better ones, so I am in a good mood right now and want to treat myself to some delicious BBQ at Yakiniku Q. I only ever eat there when Asuma treats our team, but I am really craving some BBQ right now.

I walk into the restaurant and find the place crowded as hell and there is a small wait for being seated.

Eh, I can wait. I have about two hours to kill.

I make my way over to the host stand and the pretty blonde standing behind it smiles sweetly at me. "Welcome! How many will there be?"

I point at myself. "It will be just me."

The girl slightly widens her eyes. "Oh, okay! I can actually give you two options since you're by yourself. You can either wait for about ten or fifteen minutes or I can sit you at our community booths."

I arch an eyebrow. "Community booth?"

The girl nods. "It is just one large booth that one diners usually sit at with other single people. It is kind of like sitting at a stool at a bar with other patrons nearby. We have a couple of spots open if you are interested?"

I shrug. "That is fine by me." I don't mind sitting around strangers. I'm just wanting to eat and we will be minding our own business anyways.

"Great!" the blonde says. She grabs and menu. "Follow me, please." We make our way through the busy restaurant until she leads me to a long booth in the back. She sets the menu down at a spot at one end of the booth. Beside of my spot is four empty spots with menus on them. "I hope you enjoy! Somebody will be with you soon."

I thank her and take my seat. At least I am at the end and will only have to sit next to one person. Though, they must be in the bathroom or something since there are four menus already laying here. Maybe it is a small group of people and they will be so engross with one another that I don't have to worry about them paying any attention to me!

Damn, I sound antisocial.

Despite how busy the restaurant is, a waiter quickly appears by my side to take my order. Not knowing what I want to eat just yet, I order a water and he goes to retrieve it as I look over the menu.

Let's see… am I craving spicy BBQ or sweet n' sour BBQ?

"Hinata?" a male voice behind me says.

Huh? Who's that?

I turn around and see Neji and Tenten standing behind me.

I blink in surprise. "Oh! Neji! Tenten! What are you two doing here?"

I haven't seen Neji in over two weeks and I kicked Tenten's ass recently during our match so this is a little awkward for me.

Neji gives me a strange look. "To eat?"

Tenten giggles. "That is what people come to do at restaurants, you know?"

I feel my cheeks flush red. "O-oh. Duh."

Neji and Tenten walk around me and they both sit down at two out of the four empty menus. Wait… if there are two more menus than that must mean Guy and Lee are with them! Shit!

"I suppose we are going to be eating lunch together," Neji says to me.

Not if I change my mind and get my food to go!

"I didn't even know you liked BBQ," I say back.

Neji opens his mouth to reply, but Tenten cuts in. "He doesn't, but he was overruled three to one so he has to eat some now!"

Neji rolls his eyes. "I do not _have_ to eat anything."

Tenten narrows her eyes. "You are and you will."

Neji narrows his eyes back at his teammate, but doesn't argue with her. The waiter comes back with my water and I apologize and tell him I need a few more minutes. Somebody decided to distract me by saying my name and then not really saying anything meaningful or important.

"Alright, Lee! It looks like these two are finally here," I hear Guy's voice says from a few feet behind me and I cringe.

I press my menu up to my face and start to read over it again, hoping the two wouldn't notice me and then I can slip away. To my luck, Lee is the person to sit down beside of me and instantly recognizes me. I notice him frown out of the corners of my eyes, but I pay him no attention.

La la la. Just pretend the person who interfere with your match isn't sitting next to you right now, Lee. La la la.

Unfortunately, Guy is either really bad when it comes to social cues or he just doesn't give a damn. "I almost didn't see you there, Hinata! Coming to eat some mouthwatering BBQ for lunch, too, I see?"

Literally, this whole team has, or should, have something against me at the moment and I would rather eat lunch somewhere else right now. But, I do not want to be rude and abruptly leave.

Ughhhhhhhhh.

Suddenly, I see that Lee has his fists clenched and his lips are curled back. I raise my eyebrows. It looks like he wants to say something, but doesn't want to at the same time. Guy also notices Lee's change in behavior and frowns.

"What's the matter, Lee?" he asks. "Having trouble deciding what to eat?"

Yeah. That's Lee's problem.

Lee shakes his head, cuts his eyes over to me, and then swiftly looks away.

Um, it almost looks like he can't stand the thought of being next to me. Is… is he actually upset with me because I intervened with his match? I know that we started off on the wrong foot right before the First Exam began, but he didn't act this way towards me during our time together at the Tower. For somebody who is upset with me, he is being polite enough to not say anything.

My waiter finally comes back. "I'm sorry for the wait. I'm just going to grab this young lady's order and then grab you four's drink orders."

I close my menu and hand it to the waiter. I am not putting up with this shit right now. "Actually, I have decided to not eat. I apologize, but I guess I'm not as hungry as I thought I was." I stand up and toss some money on the table.

"T-the payment isn't n-necessary," the waiter stammers.

I give him a kind smile. "Keep the change." I glance over at Guy and his students and open my mouth to say something, but quickly close it. I have nothing to say right now. Instead, I quickly leave the restaurant and head to the Eighth Training Ground.

Well, there goes my plans of having a joyful lunch. I guess I can just wait it out and eat at home this evening. Of all places to sit in that damn place, of course I get stuck with sitting beside the one team I really didn't want to see. I highly doubt Tenten has any ill thoughts towards me about losing, but the other three do. Well, I am guessing on Guy's part just because I jumped into the arena to stop his favorite's student's match after failing to convince him to instead. Which, he or Lee shouldn't be mad at me! I saved basically saved Lee's life! I know he doesn't know that, but it is obvious that Gaara's attack was going to crush Lee. They both know that and Lee's pride is just getting in his damn way from thinking clearly. Plus, I know me leaving like that was out of character of me and not very nice, but I would have seriously jumped down Lee's throat if he had said one negative thing towards me. Plus, Neji being there was making things awkward and he was just acting awkward around me in general.

I shrug. Oh, well. There is really no need for me to be fretting. Lee will come to his senses eventually and move on from all of this. He always does. That is just in his nature.

I'm mainly upset that my lunch is ruined now.

I really wanted that sweet n' sour BBQ.

* * *

On the twenty-sixth day of my training, two days before the Third Exam, my training comes to an end. Over these past twenty-six days, I have felt myself improve tremendously. I am quicker, I can fight longer without growing tired, and I have some new tricks of myself. I have completed all the goals my father wanted me to achieve, even though his training wasn't the most easiest or joyful thing I have experienced, and I learned how to successfully manipulate my chakra blades to move wherever I command them to with Ebisu's help.

Ebisu has also taught me a couple of things that he thought were important for me to learn while he supervised my training. He gave the idea of spicing up my _Substitution Jutsu_ by mixing in the _Transformation Jutsu_ with it to confuse my opponents in battle. I made a mental note of that because that might be useful when it comes to fighting Neji because I might be able to confuse him and his Byakugan briefly when I am trying to hide and plan since I do that a lot in battles. Ebisu also put me through some exercises that would increase my speed and flexibility to help out my personal Gentle Fist fighting style and since I fight more on the defensive side anyways. Ebisu also suggested, while insisting that he is not undermining my clan's style of fighting, that I learn some long range attacks so I can be an all around type of fighter, but I can only learn and juggle so much in a month.

At this moment, I am about to perform all of my hard work to Ebisu as he volunteers to be my demonstration partner. I extend both of my palms out and one chakra blade shoots out of each hand. I have them move in a straight line towards Ebisu. When they get close to him, I command the left blade to go left and the right one to go right. They start to circle around the man, preparing to restrain him, when he leaps into the air. I immediately maneuver my chakra blades upwards to follow him, but they only reach out so far. As he continues up into the air, I quickly break off the connection from my chakra blades only halfway. They start to fall and fade away, but come back to alive again when I shoot out two more chakra blades and have the new ones wrap themselves around the old ones to create length.

Now, I can reach Ebisu.

My chakra blades slithers in the sky towards its prey. Ebisu pulls out a kunai to cut the blade into pieces, but he is unable to even slice through it. Instead, I have one chakra blade wrap itself around the kunai to jerk it out of Ebisu's hand and toss it aside while the other chakra blade binds itself around his ankle. I bring my hands in a downward motion and Ebisu starts to fall towards the ground. He frees himself from crashing by substituting his body with a log and he lands safety onto the ground while the log does not. I recoil my chakra blades back and feel satisfied that I have not broken a sweat or feel even slightly tired like I would a month ago.

Ebisu looks over at me and nods in approval. "It seems like you have mastered control over your chakra blades very well."

I bow. "Thank you. I could not have done it without your teaching and guidance."

Despite what I thought of Ebisu when I first met him, he really isn't such a bad guy. He truly does care about the students he trains and really does want them to succeed. While it is his job to personally train Shinobi, you can tell he loves doing what he does.

Ebisu gives me a small smile. "It was a honor to be your instructor to help you train for the Exams. You are one of the best students I have had the pleasure of working with. I will be happy to be at your assistance anytime in the future."

That's good to hear. It is good to starting building up that reputation profile and gaining connections. I never know when I may need them.

I grin. "I'm glad to hear that. Are you going to be attending the finals?"

Ebisu adjusts his glasses. "Well, of course. I trained you. I want to see how you fare in your matches, especially your first one."

I like how he says "matches" instead of "match" as if he believes that I can make it all the way.

"Well, I better win with how much work I've been putting into my training," I say back.

Being around Ebisu, I've let some of my standard Hyūga facade slack and have allowed him to see some of my sarcastic side.

Ebisu snorts. "Obviously. I just meant since he is family. It is unusual to have two members of the clan in the finals _and_ fighting one another in the very first match. Everyone has been buzzing about the Exams. Word has it that it should be the most interesting one they've had in a couple of years."

I raise my eyebrows in surprise. "Why is that?"

"Well, I just mentioned one factor to you. The others are because Naruto, Sasuke, and two children of the Kazekage's are participating."

"Does nobody care about the other two contestants?"

"One is a lazy Nara and the other is a Yamanaka who was Top Kunoichi of her class, but shows no particular special skills."

I giggle. So, Shikamaru and Ino are just chopped livers, huh? But, I know them personally. They are still going to give one hell of a fight… if Orochimaru doesn't launch his invasion first.

"But, I advise you go on ahead home and get some rest today and tomorrow," Ebisu says. "You need to be well rested and prepared."

I nod in understanding. "My father told me the same thing this morning. He said I should do some meditating to clear my mind of any worries and nerves."

"Then, I would follow his word," Ebisu tells me.

We say our goodbyes and I head home. After dinner, I have a mini meditation session with my father and then I lock myself in my room for the rest of the night to review my notebook. Pages and pages have been filled with my ideas and plans for the upcoming invasion. I have decided that my goals are to prevent Sasuke from getting the Cursed Mark and/or from getting kidnapped, find Kabuto under his Anbu disguise with my Byakugan and try to secretly draw some attention on him, and to take out as much of Orochimaru's minions as I can to lower the amount of casualties. Another goal that I have is to keep the Hokage from dying, but I know that isn't realistic because of the circumstances leading up to it. Heck, I seriously even entertained the thought of just straight up warning the Hokage about Orochimaru being under disguise as the Kazekage, but that could possibly lead to more consequences than anything.

But, back to outing Kabuto. Since Kakashi wasn't able to figure out his true plans this time around, I think this will be a good way. Probably an actual better way because he has more of a chance at getting caught and questioned since everyone still thinks he is a Genin and should not be in Anbu uniform. If Kabuto isn't around to activate his genjutsu as the signal to start the invasion, I wonder how Orochimaru will handle that? I know he wouldn't back down, but his element of surprise and diversion will kind of be ruined and there will be more people awake to help out during his invasion.

Now, my main plan is strictly going on what happened in the anime/manga... to an extend. I have backup plans for different outcomes that would happen so I have thoroughly thought this out at all possible angles. I have a plan if the Sound Four gets involved, I have a plan if Kabuto never shows up to perform the genjutsu, I have a plan if Orochimaru directly attacks the audience first instead of the Hokage. I am literally prepared for anything and everything… though that doesn't exactly mean I will succeed in my plans. Being prepared doesn't equal to being successful. I know I shouldn't think like that, but I always do when it comes to my plans.

I'm just going to have to be extra careful and aware the day of the Third Exams.

* * *

The next afternoon, Hanabi and I are out spending the day together. Hanabi wanted to go to the festival with me, but my father would not allow her so I decided to grab lunch with her and shop around. His reasoning being that his festival will be much, much more crowded than our village's average festival and doesn't want her getting lost. I know another reason is so someone doesn't try to kidnap her because of her linage and visual powers since she is too young to defend herself very well. So, we just wandering around the village as it sets up for their festival this evening when we run into Shikamaru. He is carrying a fruit basket.

"Oh, hey, Hinata. Hanabi," Shikamaru greets us.

Hanabi waves meekly as I raise my eyebrow. "Why are you carrying around a basket of fruit? Are you that hungry?"

Shikamaru rolls his eyes. "No, dummy. These were for Choji. He's in the hospital for overeating and he is having indigestion problems."

I laugh. "Sorry, I shouldn't laugh but I never heard of going to the hospital for overeating. I hope he gets well soon." I eye the fruit basket. "Besides, why did you say those _were_ for Choji?"

Shikamaru shrugs. "Well, I bought them as a get well gesture and then remembered what he was in the hospital for after buying them. So, I heard Naruto was in the hospital and thought I would get the basket to him instead."

I widen my eyes. "What? Why?! Is he alright?"

Shikamaru sighs. "Calm down. He's fine. He just exhausted all of his chakra and has been knocked out the past couple of days."

"Oh, well dang," I say. "He's been training super hard."

"Yeah, don't see the point in him pushing himself that hard just for the Exams," Shikamaru says. "But, whatever. You wanna come with me to visit him?"

"Sure!" I look down at Hanabi. "Is that okay with you?"

Hanabi nods. "Yeah. Let's go see how he is doing. He's my favorite out of your friends, anyways."

Shikamaru slightly narrows his eyes at Hanabi's comment and I giggle. "It doesn't look like my sister likes you."

"Do you always have to be such a sarcastic asshole?" Shikamaru complains. "You always have a comment to say. She did not say that."

Hanabi slightly widens her eyes from Shikamaru cursing and snaps her head over towards me. I just shrug. "Because your days would be boring if I wasn't one."

Shikamaru gives me a blank stare, but a smile slips out. "You wish."

Hanabi just looks at the both of us in confusion and cocks her head. I just smoothed down her hair and we all head towards the hospital. When we get there, we find out that Naruto is in a room on the second floor so we head up to see him. We get in there to find Naruto still knocked out like a baby.

"Well, looks like he's gonna be out for a little bit longer," Shikamaru says, setting down the fruit basket on the ground and sits down in a chair. He waves his hand towards the Shogi board sitting at the table next to him. "You guys wanna play? If he doesn't wake up after a few games we can just attempt to yell in his ears or something."

I sit in the chair across from him as Hanabi hops up on Naruto's bed, un fazing him the slightest. "Sure. We have nothing else to do and Hanabi loves Shogi."

Hanabi crosses her arms and sticks her nose up in the air. "I always beat her."

"Oh. do you?" Shikamaru says, casting his eyes over at me.

"Yeah, but I let her win so she won't cry," I tease.

Hanabi puffs out her cheeks. "You're such a liar!"

I stand up. "Well, let's switch places then and show me and Shikanaru how good you are."

"Fine," Hanabi says and we switch spots. She glares up at Shikamaru. "Don't go easy on me. I will know if you do."

"Sheesh, alright," Shikamaru says.

I watch Shikamaru kick Hanabi's ass a couple of times before I offer to play and watch as he kicks my ass.

"You know, you suck at this game for someone as intelligent as you," Shikamaru remarks.

I roll my eyes. "Sorry we all don't have a high IQ like you. You and I strategize differently. Duh."

"I wanna play one more time!" Hanabi says. She is just determined to beat Shikamaru.

I stand up. "Go ahead. I'm going to go to the ladies room really quick while you do."

Shikamaru nods. "When you get back, we are gonna wake Naruto up."

Hanabi's face brightens up. "Oh! Can we play a prank on him?"

I wink at my sister. "I like the way you think. Try to come up with something when I get back."

I leave the room as Hanabi and Shikamaru begin to devise a prank while playing Shogi at the same time. Maybe Hanabi can use her cuteness to distract Shikamaru this time around and win. I wonder down the hallway and find the restroom. I quickly use it and wash my hands and stare at myself in the mirror for a second.

Man, I look rough. All that training has left many bruises on my body and my hair is getting a little too long from not trimming it. The sides are growing past my ears now. I need to trim it this evening or tomorrow morning.

I walk back out into the hallway and start to walk down it, when an eerie chill suddenly runs up my spine. I tense my body up and quickly whirl around, feel like somebody is standing behind me. Nobody is there. I blink.

Well, that was weird. I felt like someone was watching me just now. Just like that day when I was leaving the Hokage's office. Gahhh, I'm losing it.

I shrug and turn back around to head to Naruto's room when I stop dead in my tracks.

Gaara is standing at the other end of the hallway. With nobody around. Just alone. With me. And, he has a bloodthirsty look in his eyes.

Shit. What do I do? What do I do? Why is he here? Lee isn't in the hospital so he has no reason to be here! Do I act casual and make small talk or turn the other way? I can always just activate my Byakugan to see if he follows me or tries to attack.

Before I can even make a decision, Gaara raises a hand.

"Die," he simply says.

I widen my eyes as a wave of sand shouts out of his hand and slithers towards me. There is no way for me to escape. This hallway is too narrow and if I run away I will be putting the whole hospital in danger! My Byakugan springs to life and I spam out two Shadow Clones by my side. In unison, we start waving our hands around to create a large chakra barrier to stop the sand from attacking us. The sand collides with the barrier and I grunt from the force.

Damn he's strong.

"What are you doing here?!" I shout from beyond the barrier.

"To kill," Gaara replies with no emotion. "I was so close and then you prevented me from doing so last time."

Well, damn. I guess karma doesn't exist in this world. I try to help somebody out and now I'm on the verge of being murdered. Nice.

So, he's been wanting to kill me this whole time? What about Guy? Why strike now? Did he follow me here… wait. Was he watching me that day after I left the Hokage's office? But, I didn't see anyone. Or… he could've been watching me with his Third Eye and dissipates it before I caught it.

I can't keep doing this forever and his sand is starting to overpower us! I need to get back to Hanabi and Shikamaru.

Suddenly, the sand starts to push itself forward, forcing itself through my barrier. I keep on waving my hands around as my two Shadow Clones keep doing the same but they step in front of me for extra protection. Gaara raises his other hand and more sand merges into the wave of sand, causing it to grow bigger and stronger. Without difficulty, Gaara's sand bursts through my Shadow Clone's barrier and sweeps over start to run up the ways to get out of the way, but two sand hands pop up out of the wave, grabs them, and crushes them instantly, causing them to poof away. At this point I drop my guard and turn around to run.

I can't handle him alone. He's going to kill me! I need to find someone to help me out. Anyone!

I start to round the corner when I notice the sand has stopped chasing me. Like it has frozen in mid-air. I stay in still, but in a position to where I can easily run away again, and expand my vision slightly. Through Gaara's sand and body, I see Shikamaru has him caught in his _Shadow Possession Jutsu_ and he seems to be struggling as his body is quivering. Standing beside of him is Naruto and Hanabi. I sigh in relief.

Reinforcements… though what can they possibly do when Shikamaru's shadow gives out or Gaara breaks free? He is strong enough to.

"Hey, Hinata! Are you alright?" Naruto shouts.

Hanabi answers for me since her Byakugan is activated. "I can see her. She is fine."

"Hanabi! Get out of here and get help!" I holler out.

Hanabi narrows her eyes and remains firm. "No! I'm not leaving you, nee-san! You're in trouble!:

I clench my teeth. Stubborn ass girl. The one time she decides she doesn't want to listen to is the time she is standing feets away from death.

I'm going to have to bring some Inner Hinata out.

"Damn it, Hanabi! Now is not the time to be disobeying me!" I yell, instantly feeling bad for cursing at her. But, she seriously needs to go and find someone or at least away from here. "Go! Now!"

Hanabi hesitates for a second long before nodding her head and turns to run off.

"You take one more step and I will kill you first," Gaara threatens.

Hanbi freezes on the spot and I almost see red.

"If you lay even one grain of sand on her, I will rip your damn head off!" I growl, clenching my teeth. How dare he threatening to kill my sister?! I don't care if he does turn good later. Fuck him! "You will not get anywhere near her! Do you understand me?!"

Gaara just stares blankly at me as Hanabi continues to not dare to move an inch.

"Hinata! Calm down!" Shikamaru snaps. He focuses on Gaara. "What's the big idea? Did you get your days mixed up? Tomorrow is your match, not today, and they certainly wouldn't be hosting it in the hallway of a hospital. Plus, Hinata isn't even your opponent so why don't you just get lost?"

"Why are you even doing this to Hinata?! What the hell do you want with her?!" Naruto demands to know with a wild look in his eyes. "She's never done anything to you!"

"She stopped me from killing," Gaara says without turning to look at the two boys. "Now, I'm going to finish and kill her. You two better stay out of this or I will end up killing you, too."

Shikamaru and Naruto widens their eyes in fear. "K-kill?" Shikamaru repeats.

Naruto points at Gaara. "Are you sick in the head?! We aren't going to allow you to do that!"

Shikamaru waves a hand out in front of Naruto. "Now, hold up a second! Don't just be flying off the handle like that! We need a plan. This guy fights like he's a demon or something!"

Naruto clenches his teeth. "Well, I have the real demon inside of me so I would like to see him try something!"

Shit, Naruto! Don't be saying things like that! You're going to rail up the Nine Tails and the One Tail!

Shikamaru elbows Naruto for his comment. "Are you trying to make him mad? Ugh, just leave this to me."

Shikamaru branches off a shadow from his main connection and starts to slither it towards Gaara, when Gaara suddenly turns around without Shikamaru's control. Shikamaru gasps and forces out extra chakra and Gaara stops moving.

"A demon, hmm?" Gaara says to Naruto. "My demon is just as real as yours is." He starts to launch into a tale about his childhood.

Fuck, I've heard all of this shit before. I'm going to scan over the hospital to see if there is anybody who can help us out here, though I bet they would've already been here from sensing Gaara's demonic chakra presence.

I start my search. Well, this place is basically empty. Where is everybody at? On their lunch break? At least there's only a couple of patients on this floor and they seem to be napping. How convenient for us. I look around some more and tense up my body. From a few hallways down, I notice Sakura sneaking her way towards our direction as the air ripples around her. She must be casting a genjutsu to try and conceal herself and heading our way since she sensed all of our chakra presences. Why is she even here? She needs to go the other way! She's gonna get herself killed!

Gaara sighs suddenly. "But, I'm tired of talking. Make me feel alive again!"

In a flash, he breaks free of Shikamaru's control and continues throwing his save of sand towards me.

"Hinata!" Shikamaru and Naruto shout.

I start to leap backwards continously and am about to completely run away when I see a figure appear itself in front of me, batting the sand away. Gaara blinks and drops the rest of his sand as he stares at the figure.

The dark haired woman in front of me narrows her red eyes. "Enough! This is not the time and place to be fighting! This a hospital for Kami's sake!"

What is Kurenai doing here and why didn't I see her with my Byakugan? Her genjutsu is hundred times better than Sakura's so maybe she just concealed herself better with an illusion?

Gaara starts to grunt and grab his head as the sand recoils back into his gourd. We all just stare at him, waiting for his next move. Instead, he drops his hands and starts to walk down the hallway towards Naruto, Shikamaru, and Hanabi. Shikamaru bravely steps in front of Hanabi as Gaara walks past them. Before rounds the corner, he turns his head back at all of us.

"It doesn't matter. I will kill you all," he promises and he walks off until he is out of the hospital.

Kurenai glances over at me. "Would you like to explain to me what was going on here?"

I shrug. "To be honest, I really don't know. The three of us came to visit Naruto. As we were waiting on him to wake up, I went to use the restroom. When I came out, Gaara was standing out here and randomly attacked me."

Kurenai arches an eyebrow as Shikamaru, Naruto, and Hanabi make their way over to us. "How strange," she replies. She looks behind her. "You can come out now, Sakura."

Naruto cocks his head to the side. "Sakura's here, too? I didn't sense her."

"I was masking my chakra," Sakura explains as she rounds the corner. "I sensed you guys and was coming to see what was going on."

"Even though I told you to stay with Choji," Kurenai sighes.

"Choji?" Shikamaru repeats.

Sakura nods. "Kurenai-sensei was wanting to visit Choji to see how he was doing before we went back to our training so I tagged along."

I widen my eyes. "Wait, you're training with her?"

Kurenai waves her hands around. "Woah, woah. One question at a time. Let's sort out what just happened first."

"Okay," I say. "Well, I just told you what happened and I don't want to report this to the Hokage."

"What? Why?" Naruto questions. "The guy about killed you and threatened to kill your sister!"

"Tomorrow is the Third Exam and Gaara is fighting in it," I being. "First off, the Hokage is probably too busy at the moment meeting with the Kazekage and the other lords that have been showing up. Second, if Gaara does anything weird tomorrow at the Exams the Hokage will already be present to take action. Third, Sasuke would be really mad at us if we get his opponent disqualified."

"Who cares about Sasuke's feelings?" Naruto replies. "This guys is dangerous and crazy!"

"Naruto! Calm down!" Kurenai snaps and then softens her tone of voice. "I understand your thinking, but I agree with Hinata. There is no reason to report him at the moment because this incident could just be seen as a Shinobi getting a little to antsy before the tournaments starts and decided to pick a fight. Being the Kazekage's son, I'm pretty sure he can pull some strings to get out of trouble."

I rest a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Don't worry, Naruto. Sasuke can just kick his butt tomorrow as payback."

Naruto gives me a worried look and then grins. "Heh, I guess you're right."

I nod and then look over at Hanabi. "Are you okay?"

Hanabi nods back. "I'm fine."

I arch an eyebrow but I do not press on. We can talk about it later when we are alone.

Instead, I focus on Sakura. "So, you've been training with Kurenai, huh?"

"Yeah, I'm interested to here about that," Shikamaru joins in.

"While you guys were training, I decided to do some on my own so I don't get left behind," Sakura tells us. "Asuma suggested I train with Kurenai since I dabble in genjutsu and she is a master of it. Plus, I've been training with her team so I can grow some thicker skin and practice my taijutsu."

So, she's been training with Kurenai? That's nice. I wonder if she taught Sakura any cool genjutsu techniques.

"You just want to get stronger than Ino," Shikamaru says.

Sakura clenches her fist. "That's not my only reason!"

Kurenai chuckles. "I wouldn't start with her, Shikamaru. She has improved a lot over the past month."

"Well, that's good to hear because he hasn't," I chime in.

"You came to one of my training sessions!" Shikamaru says.

I nod. "Yeah, and you were on your fourth break."

"I was not!"

"I believe Hinata," Sakura says.

Shikamaru groans. "Of course you do."

"Well, if you guys are done, I'm going to take this fruit basket over to Choji and tease him with it," Naruto announces.

Kurenai pinches the bridge of her nose. "And, here I thought my team of all boys were rowdy."

* * *

Later that evening, Konoha is hosting a festival because of tomorrow's tournament. Everybody is here now from different villages to come and watch such an event and all of these people are out and about to enjoy the foods, games, and pleasures of the festival. With that, I decide to go out with Shikamaru and Naruto. We invited Sakura, and Ino to come, but the two of them are attending with Ino's mother so they can help out with her flower stand. I would have invited Sasuke, but he is still MIA with Kakashi. Before I went out, I tried to talk to Hanabi about what happened but she wouldn't say much thought we did agree to not take our father what happened since the Hokage wasn't being notified of it.

I hope Hanabi isn't too traumatized.

"Do you guys mind if we look for my dad while we are here?" Shikamaru asks us as we leave the dango stand. We were gonna get so dango, but apparently they were sold out and prepping more. I wouldn't have thought much of it if I didn't see Anko at a table nearby with about forty sticks of dango.

"I don't mind," Naruto says, shoot a glance over at me and I shrug. "But, why do you want to?"

Shikamaru sighs. "My mom told me to. She doesn't want him out drinking all night with his buddies and then having a hangover tomorrow and miss my match."

"I'm pretty sure your father knows his limits," I tell him.

Shikamaru shakes his head. "Not when he is out with his friends. When the three of them are together, they act like they are teenagers again."

"Your father? Irresponsible?" I say. Can't see that happening.

Shikamaru shifts his eyes over to me. "You know, I don't get why you act like I just make these things up about my parents."

"Well, you tend to complain about things that aren't worth complaining about."

Naruto just looks at the both of us and nods, pretending he understands what is going on.

Shikamaru rolls his eyes. "Whatever. Let's just grab something to eat and find my old man."

We search out to find some food.

"So, how did your training go, Naruto?" I ask.

Naruto sends me a mischievous grin. "It is a secret, but it went great! Pervy Sage is a pretty good instructor when he isn't trying to peep at girls."

Hmmm, a secret? I wonder if Jiraiya decided to teach Naruto something besides _Summoning Jutsu_?

Shikamaru blinks. "Pervy Sage…?"

Naruto shoots Shikamaru a strange look, as if he should know who he is referring to. "You know, Pervy Sage? Jiraiya? One of the three legendary Sannin?"

Shikamaru rolls his eyes. "I know who he is, idiot. I just haven't been around you for the past month to know that you had given him a strange nickname."

"Well, you do now!" Naruto says. "How did yours go, Hinata?"

I groan. "Eh, alright. My father whipped me into shape everyday is all I can say. I was considering dropping out of the competition just to avoid training anymore."

"That bad?"

"Totally."

We walk in silence for a few seconds until Shikamaru speaks up. "Are you guys not going to ask how my training went?"

I raised my eyebrows in mock surprise. "You actually trained?"

"Yeah, I heard the one time someone came to one of your sessions you were on your fourth break or something," Naruto says.

Shikamaru rubs his face. "I hate you guys."

I laugh. "But, seriously."

"Well, Asuma taught me a new jutsu and my dad has been working with me on a clan jutsu," Shikamaru tells us. "Though, I'm probably not going to use the clan jutsu during the tournament because it takes awhile to learn."

Naruto's ears perk up. "A new jutsu? Sweet! I can't wait to see in action."

"Is it smart to be telling us that you learned a new jutsu?" I ask.

Shikamaru shrugs. "The way I will be fighting you guys is if I make it to the final match and I highly doubt I will get past the first one."

He doesn't think he can beat Ino?

I narrow my eyes at him. "You better not be planning on forfeiting your match with Ino."

Shikamaru rolls his eyes. "Neverrrrrr."

After eating at a ramen stand and playing a few games, we decide to call it a night and search for Shikamaru's father.

"Hey, can you use your Byakugan to find my dad?" Shikamaru asks. "It will make things easier."

"You're acting like my Byakugan is some toy that I use in my everyday life for simple things," I lecture. Shikamaru just stares at me, hard. I sigh and give in. "Fine. Byakugan! Hmmm, it looks like he is at a bar about two minutes from here."

"Of course he is," Shikamaru complains. "Let's go."

We find the bar, walk into it, and find Shikaku, Inoichi, and Chōza all sitting together, drunk as hell.

"Welcome!" the bartender greets us. He looks over at us and frowns, seeing we are just a couple of preteens, and focuses back on washing his glasses.

"Dad," Shikamaru whines as he strolls over to his father. "Mom wants you to come home."

Shikaku squints at his son and slaps his back. "Shikamaru! It's you! Come and have a drink!"

Shikamaru rolls his eyes. "Dad, I'm too young now come on."

Shikaku waves his hand. "Don't be such a drag, son. Can't you see your old man is enjoying himself, here?"

"Dad, I'm in the tournament tomorrow and would like to go home and rest for it."

Shikaku pauses. "Wait, you're in that?"

Shikamaru widens his eyes as Naruto and I burst out laughing. "W-what? Are you serious? Ugh, nevermind. This is all too troublesome!"

Shikaku just shrugs and goes back to talking to his old teammates.

"Anyways, as I was saying-"

"Dad"

"Chōza is right. Sons can be just as a pain in the ass as daughters-"

"Dad."

"First, because they don't know how to shut up-"

"Shikamaru's dad," Naruto chimes in.

"And then, he allows his friends to bother you-"

"Shikaku," I say.

"And, call you about your first name-"

"Look, dad," Shikamaru says. "If you don't come, my said she would… well…" He leans in to whisper into the man's ear. He pulls back and shrugs. "What does that even mean?"

Shikaku jumps up and his face is blood red. "Sorry, guys. My wife needs me at home. Something...er… important came up." He glances down at Shikamaru. "Son. don't come home for an hour or so."

Shikamaru's widens his eyes. "Whyyyyyy? The main reason I came searching for you is so I can take you home and go to sleep." He grabs his father's arm. "If I have to participate in the finals tomorrow, then I going to be well rested." He looks over at me. "Don't ever say I wasn't ever motivated to do anything."

I arch an eyebrow. "You are rushing home to go to sleep. I wouldn't exactly call that being motivated."

"I concur," Shikamaru counters and starts to drag his father out of the bar. "See you guys later."

"Wait! Your father has to pay for his drinks!" Chōza calls out but the Naras are already out the door.

Inoichi raises his eyebrows. "What are you talking about? You said you were paying for all the rounds."

Chōza sighs. "You know how Shikaku gets when he's drunk. It is the one time we can outsmart him and make him think it is his turn to pay."

Ha. These guys are terrible and funny at the same time.

I nudge Naruto's elbow. "Let's get out of here before they decide to make us pay."

Naruto nods and we bolt out of the bar.

I walk into my bedroom about twenty minutes later and find that Hanabi is sitting on my bed, staring at the ground. As soon as I shut the door behind me, her heads snaps up and there is a look of relief resting on her face.

"Isn't it a little late for you to be up?" I ask as I slide off my jacket. It was a little chilly tonight.

Hanabi lowers her eyes. "I was just waiting up on you to make sure you arrived home safely."

I put my jacket in my closet. "Why wouldn't I be- oh. I see. Thank you, but you didn't have to do that. You must be tired."

Hanabi looks up at me. "Nah, I'm not tired."

She's acting weird. I wonder if what happened earlier with Gaara really did scare her and she didn't want to admit to it when I asked at the hospital since we were around people.

I sit down beside of her. "Are you afraid about what happened earlier? I know I said we shouldn't tell Otou-san, but if you want me to…"

Hanabi shakes his head. "No, don't do that. I'm not afraid for myself. I mean, I was scared at the time, but not anymore. I know that I won't get hurt since I'm always around father or a servant. I am more afraid for you. What if you have to face him tomorrow?"

"The only possible way for Gaara and I to fight one another is if we both make it to the final round," I explain to her.

"Okay, well that could happen," Hanabi replies as if she is stating the obvious.

I smile at her. "Well, I appreciate the fact that you think I'm capable enough to make it to the final match and that you are this concerned over me. But, I will be fine. To be honest, I'm more worried about facing Neji than Gaara."

I need to get her mind off of Gaara. She doesn't need to keep waiting up on me like this and worrying. That isn't good for a seven year old.

Hanabi shrugs. "I mean, I think you can beat him so I don't understand why you are so worried. He's from the Branch House and you are from the Main."

So, my father has already planted this bullshit into my sister's head. Not on my watch.

I shrug. "So? That doesn't mean anything."

Hanabi gives me a puzzle look. "I don't understand."

"Whichever part of our family we were born into doesn't measure how talented of a Shinobi one is," I tell her. "Or how they really are in general." Our casting system shouldn't be here at all. "I assume Neji-nii-san has been training as hard as I have over the past month. For all we know, he might just kick my butt tomorrow."

Hanabi shakes her head. "That would never happen."

"Have you ever seen him fight?" I ask.

"No."

"Well, you're in for a big surprise tomorrow."

Hanabi shakes her head again. "I still don't believe you."

Ugh, why is my father already corrupting her? At least I managed to her her mind off of Gaara.

Hanabi yawns and I raise my eyebrows. "I thought you wasn't tired?"

"I guess I am now," Hanabi admits instead of protesting and yawns again. "Um… I know I'm too old to be doing this, but can I sleep with you tonight?"

I wave my hand. "Sure you can. One is never to old for a sleepover!"

I switch into my pajamas as Hanabi gets underneath this blankets and I shut off the lights to join her. She snuggles up to me and I wrap my arms around her.

"Goodnight, nee-san," Hanabi mumbles. "I love you."

I smoothe down her hair. "I love you, too."

We both drift off to sleep.

* * *

I look up at the audience from the arena.

Holy shit. There is a lot of people here. All of these people want to see us beat the hell out of each other?

Contestants were suppose to be here at one and we have been chilling inside of the arena until now as we stand outside. In one section of the arena, my father, sister, uncle, and over half of my clan is sitting. I wonder if my father reserved the section or something? I see Asuma and Kurenai sitting together, the rest of Konoha 12 sitting together, including Gai who is beside of Lee, and I even spotted Ebisu. I also notice many Anbus who are really Orochimaru's minions in disguise and the Hokage and the "Kazekage" sitting in the highest stand.

Ugh, my nerves are starting to set it. The invasion happens today. Today. I hope I can pull all my plans.

Shikamaru notices that I am scanning the crowds and rolls his eyes. "Oh, you will use your Byakugan to look for people in the audience but complain to me that it isn't a toy when I simply ask you to look for my dad."

I deactivate my Byakugan. "I didn't complain. That's your job. Speaking of your father, what did your mother threaten to do if he didn't come home?"

Shikamaru shrugs. "I honestly don't know. When we came home, she was in a really, er, rather revealing pink dress and her hair was all messy looking and pushed back. When she saw me, she proceeded to yell at me for coming home! I can never please that woman."

Hmmmm, it sounds like to me that Momma Nara wanted to play around with Daddy Nara before Baby Nara came come. Heh heh.

Suddenly, a guy with a long ass toothpick hanging out of his mouth poofs out of nowheres and strides over towards us.

"My name is Shiranui Genma and I will be your proctor for the Third Exam," he explains to us.

Naruto raises his eyebrows. "What? Why? What happened to that guy who coughs a lot?"

Genma shrugs. "Things happened so I'm filling in for him."

Was Hayate that sick to show up? I can't remember what happens to him.

"Now, stand up straight and face the Kages," Genma orders. "Hokage-sama is going to make a short speech before we begin."

"Wait! Sasuke isn't here!" Naruto points out. "We can't start without him!"

Genma narrows his eyes. "We are and we will now zip it, kid,"

As the Hokage starts speaking to the audience, I lean into Naruto's ear. "Don't worry. He will be here. Maybe your sensei is wanting to make some grand entrance with him or something."

Naruto frowns. "Oh, yeah. Kakashi-sensei isn't here either. What's going on?"

Ino slightly widens her eyes. "Kakashi isn't here? Are you serious? That jerk is going to miss our matches!"

"Do you rookies not know what zip it means?" Genma mumbles just as the Hokage finishes his speech. Toothpick Guy turns around to face us. "Before we begin, I'm going to inform you guys that the rules are the same as before that is there is no rules. Anything goes. The match goes on until one of you forfeits or die. However, I can end the match at anytime I see fit. No arguments. Does everyone understand?" We all nod. "Good. The first match will consist of Hyūga Neji vs Hyūga Hinata. You two will remain downstairs while the rest of you go on upstairs."

Naruto smacks my back. "Good luck, Hinata-chan!"

Shikamaru shoves his hands in my pocket. "Wipe that worried look off your face. You're gonna do fine."

I blink. Do I really look that nervous? I'm not even nervous about Neji.

"Thanks, guys," I say and everyone heads up to the stands to watch.

Neji and I turn to look at each other as Genma walks over to stand in between us.

"Before we begin this match, Hinata, I would just like to remind you of what we talked about before," Neji says.

I sigh. "I remember."

Neji nods. "Good, because I am not going easy on you. By the end of this match, fate will have decided which one of us will win."

I shake my head. "No, no, no. I'm not listening to your fate and destiny shit."

Neji arches an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"

Hey, I cursed in front of my friends and Hanabi a few times yesterday. I can slip today for Neji.

I look over at Genma. "I'm ready to knock some sense back into my cousin. Can we start this match?"

Genma snorts. "Sure. The first match between Hyūga Neji and Hyūga Hinata will begin now!"

 **Author's Note: For some reason, I really enjoyed writing this chapter. It would have been out earlier, but I got into a car accident and have been busy making annoying phone calls and resting. While resting, I watched the most recent episode of Naruto Shippuden and damn Ino is hot now lol. But, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I know several different things went on and that I didn't go into too much detail about Hinata's plan to handle the invasion but than that ruins the surprise of it. The next chapter will consist of everyone's matches so I'm excited to write that! Many of you seem excited about Neji's and Hinata's match so I will try to get this next chapter up ASAP.**


	26. Chapter 26: Chunin Exams Arc: Part 3

**(Double Release Time! Chapters 26 and 27 are now up as a gift because I hit 1000+ followers! Thank you!)**

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Chunin Exam Arc: Part Three**

 **Chapter twenty-six**

As soon as Genma annouces the match has begun, he jumps out of the way to give us our space to fight. Neji and I activated our Byakugans and proceed to stare each other down for a moment before he slips into an offensive stance and I slip into a defensive one. We continue to carefully observe one another, waiting for the other person to attack first. However, I am getting the feeling that Neji is wanting me to strike first since I tend to fight more defensively than he does. But, I don't want to go first so I will just continue on with this staring competition until he finally gives in. Besides, this is how a match between two Hyūgas typically start out. No one ever said our matches were exciting. We are cautious and like to swoop in and gracefully attack our opponents when we find an opening or they least expect it. Especially between two people who fight the same fighting style.

Seeing that I was not going to go first, Neji flickers over to me and goes for a strike to my shoulder. I bat his hand away and spin sideways to get out of his line of attack. He whirls around and targets my arm, but I duck to dodge it. He drops down to sweep me off of my feet with a low kick and I spring up. Neji contorts his body so he is able to stand on his hands and continues his kicks upwards. I perform a mid-air backflip to evade and skid backwards on my feet as I land.

"You cannot just keeping avoiding my attacks," Neji tells me. "You are going to have to strike back."

"Don't lecture me," I say back. "I was just testing the waters. Feeling you out. That's all."

I cross my fingers together and two Shadow Clones appear by my side. Neji scans his eyes over all three of us, trying to focus on which is the real one. My clones and I look at each other, nod, and we substitute our bodies away and replaced them with logs. In the process of substituting, one of my clones transforms into a squirrel and scurries up the nearest tree while my other clone and I hide ourselves behind a tree, even though we know that Neji can obviously see us. The two of us pull out a scroll, summoned a scarecrow dummy, and we separate ourselves by running in different directions along the wall of the arena, Neji watching us the entire time. My clone sets down her dummy about ten feet in front of a tree while I set mine down in between two trees.

"I do not know what you are planning exactly, but I may have an idea from witnessing your fight with Tenten," Neji calls out. "Do you really think the same trick will work twice?"

I scoff. "Do you really think I will use the same trick twice?"

"Well, I do not see the second clone that you have created so probably not," Neji replies, glancing around the arena once more. "It seems you have gotten rid of her. Why?"

I cross my arms. "Okay, unlike most people, I'm not the type of Shinobi to stupidly go around and blurt out my plans."

Neji narrows his eyes in response and hurls a kunai towards my Shadow Clone. She does the obvious and gets out of the way, but then Neji performs the _Substitution Jutsu_ and switches places with the moving kunai. My Shadow Clone and I both widen our eyes at the same time in surprise as he hits her in the stomach, causing her to instantly poof away. Then, he turns around and sends multiple strikes all over my dummy until it is completely destroyed.

"You are not the only Shinobi who can perform the _Substitution Jutsu_ so easily," Neji remarks with a smirk.

I gasp. "You destroyed my dummy! Those dummies cost money, you know!"

Neji's smirk fades away. "Seriously? That's the only thing you are worried about?"

All jokes aside, that was pretty smart for Neji to do that. I didn't even know you can substitute your body with a moving object! That would have made my fight with Tenten a hell of a lot easier. Well, it doesn't matter. That dummy and clone was supposed to be a distraction anyways. I am just going to have to alter my plans slightly and change courses. I have to be the distraction now and keep Neji from focusing on my little clone squirrel.

"Fine," I say. "If you want me to fight you offensively, then I will!"

I take off after him. Pleased, Neji nods and comes after me. We both meet in the middle and I simultaneously start thrusting my palms at Neji. He swiftly dodges them all counterattacks the same way. I block them all, cartwheel sideways, and toss a roundhouse kick to his back. He grabs ahold of my foot, but I channel my chakra through the tenketsu in my foot and send out a mini blast to push myself away from him. He stumbles backwards from the force and gives me an odd look, but doesn't let it faze him. I dance around on my feet and wave my arms up and down at the same time to attack his upper and lower body. Since he couldn't just duck or leap in the air to get out of the way, he hops backwards and I keep twirling towards him while waving my hands around.

Neji grits his teeth as I start to overwhelm him and a blue aura of chakra starts to envelope around his body. Knowing what he is about to do next, I exert out my chakra blades as I continue to wave my hands around to create a barrier. As I do so, Neji starts to spin his body around and the blue chakra begins to expand outwards.

" _Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation!_ "

" _Protective Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!_ "

The two defense mechanisms collide and a small explosion happens. Pain runs through my body as I soar backwards and tumble to the ground. The _Rotation_ has the ability to throw one's technique back at the user, but my _Protective Eight Trigrams_ is able to do the same so Neji is in as much pain as I am right now.

Ahhh, shit this actually hurts a little. It doesn't look like I landed wrong and sprained anything this time around. Just some bruises and light burn wounds from the chakra explosion.

Through the smoke that the explosion had created, I see Neji has similar minor injuries so he isn't out for the count yet. I spring up onto my feet and rush towards him as he attempts to get up. I throw out my palm to strike, but Neji obviously sees me coming and grabs my arm. He swings me in a semi circle and tosses me aside. I position myself to land on my feet and push off the ground, getting to kick him upwards in the chin. He quickly arches his back and the bottom of my foot barely misses him. I perform a couple of backflips to get out of the way and frown.

You know, it is really hard to land a strike on somebody who has their Byakugan activated. I always can rely on my speed during fights, but it appears that Neji is just as fast as I am!

By this time, the smoke is clearing up so people can see us again.

Neji tilts his head in mock concern. "What's wrong? You look frustrated."

Maybe I should play along and get him to underestimate me.

I huff. "You're just more stronger and quicker than I thought you would be."

Neji half shrugs. "Well, we haven't sparred with each other in years and I have training very hard this past month… as you may be able to see with that last move."

I narrow my eyes. "I noticed. When were you able to learn that? I've been struggling to learn it this whole time."

Neji smirks. "Just from observing."

I drop my mouth in mock surprise. "Y-you learned _Rotation_ just from merely watching somebody?"

Neji nods. "Yes. And, I have also learned another trick from simply observing." He lowers his head. "You're within my range."

I look at the distance between Neji and I and see that I am close enough to him to perform the _Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms_ without being able to escape.

Shit! If I get hit by that I will surely lose! I don't have a backup of chakra like Naruto had!

Neji starts to get into his stance to attack me as I quickly try to come up with a plan in my mind.

" _Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms_!" Neji announces. He steps forward just as an idea pops into my head. " _Eight Trigrams! Two-_ "

As he rushes forward to strike me, I lower my hands to where they are facing the ground and commanded for two chakra blades to shoot out. They stick themselves into the ground and I exert out extra energy to expand the chakra blades and I feel myself being shot into the air just in time to avoid being hit by Neji. In the air, I break contact with the chakra blades and I somersault over Neji. I stick the landing and spin around to thrust my palm out and manage to land a hit on his shoulder.

"Alright, Hinata!" I hear Naruto scream from the stands.

Neji winces in pain and grabs his shoulder as I aim for his arm, but he leaps several paces back. I press my palms forward and allow two chakra blades to shoot out. As expected, Neji sidesteps out of the way, but I manipulate the chakra blades to curve to their left. Neji widens his eyes as the blades pierce through his other shoulder and left upper arm. I hear many gasps travel throughout the crowds above and I internally smirk in delight. Not because I hurt Neji, but because it seems like my training has paid off and I have successfully used my chakra blades the way I wanted them to.

Neji grits his teeth and clamps onto one of the chakra blades. With my visual powers, I can see chakra building up in Neji's hand. It seems like he is wanting to travel his chakra down my blades and try to use the Gentle Fist that way. I break contact with my chakra blades to prevent him from doing such a thing and watch the chakra blades stuck inside of Neji disintegrate leaving behind two tiny holes and trickles of blood. While the holes doesn't seem that bad injury wise, the majority of the damage is happening internally in the areas that I struck. Meaning, Neji is going to have to suck up the pain if he wants to use his left arm anymore and even when he uses it, his strikes aren't going to be as useful and powerful as before.

I conjure up my chakra blades once more and decide to take a different approach since Neji knows I am able to make the blades move at will now. I snake the blades over to Neji and he begins to dodge and zip around the avoid being struck again. However, this isn't my intention. I pull around my blades to make it seems like I want strike Neji's legs, but as he jumps in the air I quickly send the blades flying upwards. The blades wrap themselves around Neji's thighs and slams him onto the ground. Like he was about to do before, I begin to send some of my chakra down the blades to immobilize his legs from moving so I can finish this match.

This wasn't part of my plan, and I didn't expect to be able to get ahold of Neji so easily, but that is what backup plans are for!

As the chakra starts to pump through the blades, Neji suddenly lifts his right arm up towards me.

" _Eight Trigrams: Air Palm_!"

An invisible blast shoots out of Neji's palm and lifts me off my feet with tremendous force. It sends me flying and I crash to the ground about thirty feet away from Neji, landing first on my head and then rolling onto my side. I gasp for air as my head starts to pound, loudly.

D-damn. That hurt like hell! When did he learn that?

"Hinata! Are you alright? Get up!" Naruto shouts.

I slowly get up and start to wobble around, feeling disorientated. I give him a thumbs up and then y vision is wavering and a miragine is starts to form, or maybe it is a concussion. Neji blinks and I notice a look of concern brief concern flash across his face with my impaired vision before he shakes it away.

"You seem surprised, Hinata," Neji says to me.

"N-nah. I'm just trying not to vomit and p-pass out here," I reply honestly.

There should not be two Nejis talking to me right now.

Neji ignores my comment. "Unlike my other two techniques, this technique is available to any member of our clan. It is performed better when a person knows the _Rotation_ so maybe that is the reason why Hiashi-sama hasn't taught you this just yet."

Is he mocking me? Looking down on me?

I narrow my eyes. "That doesn't make any sense if _Rotation_ is only taught to members of the Main House yet you say the _Air Palm_ is open to everybody within our clan."

Neji rolls his eyes. "I am implying that Hiashi-sama must not think you are ready, even though anyone can learn it, since you struggle with learning _Rotation_."

"Yes, let's just throw out all of my weaknesses in front of everyone," I mumble through gritted teeth.

Neji shrugs. "I am just letting you know that a lot is expected of you as the heiress. Remember, this is match determines who-"

"No, it doesn't," I tell him firmly. "You're the one that determined that for us, not me. Not anybody else." Neji opens his mouth to speak, but I continue on. "Even if our fathers or Elder-sama thinks so, they've never said it to you and I."

Unless Neji's father actually has in private.

I tilt my head to the side. "Besides, we are trying to fight here, not give out monologues. Whatever "woe is me" speech you had planned can be told to me later."

Okay, that was harsh but he is starting to annoy me.

Neji appears offended. "What?! H-how dare you!"

This match has dragged on long enough. I am trying to avoid going on the offensive as I possibly can so I can save my chakra for the invasion. I need to finish this off because if his _Air Palm_ makes contact with me again then I will be finished myself!

Time for the grande finale.

Without warning, I charge after Neji, despite feeling drunk still. I clumsily trip over my feet once I got near him, but attempt to strike him anyways. He easily gets out of the way and hits me in the chin and shoulder. I stumble backwards and dash after him again. I spin around on my feet to evade his palms and shove my own palms outward towards him cheek. He quickly ducks and gets me in the stomach. I double over to grab my gut and he smacks me several times all over my body then he kicks me aside. I tumble back to the ground, my body groaning in pain.

Deal with the pain. Deal with the pain. It is all part of the plan. Just don't let him overdo it on you.

He stands over me as I sit up on my hands and he lifts me up by the collar, forcing me to stand. He exerts out a small chakra blast out of his hands, shoving me backwards. I cough and rub the blood away from my chin.

"You're within my range, again," Neji notes. "Though, it looks like you are too weak now to get away being I have closed many of your chakra pathways."

I shake my head and weakly weave hand signs in attempt to substitute my body with my disguised clone. Thankfully, it works and I swiftly transform into a squirrel during the process while my Shadow Clone transforms back to her regular self. I find myself perched on a branch within a tree and next to a thin layer of wire that has many kunais attached to it.

Good. My clone did her part and now it is my turn to wait to do mine.

I watch from the tree as the small cloud of smoke goes away and my clone appears. Neji smirks.

"So, you have proved me right," I hear him say. "You are too weak and drained to even use the _Substitution Jutsu_." He gets into his fighting stance. "I am sorry, Hinata. It looks like fate has decided that I am going to be the winner of this match."

 _And, the true heir of this clan_. Is what he is probably thinking silently to himself.

" _Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms_!"

"No, Hinata!" Naruto shouts.

As Neji starts to beat on my Shadow Clone, I continue to watch from a distance, waiting for the perfect moment to pursue my plan. Once Neji is done, he stands proudly over my clone as her battered self crumbles to the ground, body arching and twitching as she puts on a show and tries to stand. Neji starts to lecture her about something, but I decide to tune him out and get ready. In the middle of his "woe is me" speech, my Shadow Clone spontaneously disappears and the whole audience gasps in shock as Neji widens his eyes and begins to search around for me. At that same moment, I cut the wire with my tiny claws, setting off a chain reaction of traps.

The kunais shoot out of the tree towards Neji and he spots them with his Byakugan and jumps out of the way. As those kunais hit the ground, another round of kunais go after Neji. He performs mid-air backflip, one kunai managing to nick his side, and he lands on the ground. This time, a group of shurikens flies in his direction at the same moment a group of kunai is set off to soar in his direction. Surrounded, Neji has no choice but to use _Rotation_ to deflect them off. As he is spinning, I take the opportunity to transform back into a human, jump out of the tree, and sprint towards him. The second he stops spinning, I fling a kunai at him with an explosive tag attached and it lands on the ground in front of him. I lift up to fingers and the tag explodes.

Neji leaps to his right out of the smoke, covered in small burn wounds. I turn on my feet and start running towards my dummy I set up earlier, pretending that I have forgotten about it. Being in front of the tree, I am giving Neji the impression that the trap in this tree didn't go off for whatever reason and I'm going to try and activate it. As expected, Neji starts to follow after me and I allow him to outrun me and get to the scarecrow dummy first. He jumps up and slashes the wire that is attached to the dummy and then whirls it around to rip off the explosive tag behind it, not noticing that any weapons were not set off. He tears the explosive tag in half and throws the pieces onto the ground, littering the arena like an asshole.

Neji gives me a "I ruined your plans" look, but I give him a "don't count me out just yet" smirk. I point towards the torn up explosive tag and then lift up two fingers once more. Tricking him into thinking I was going to set it off, he instinctively jumps backwards in my direction to get out of the way. As he does, I see his eyes widen at his small mistake, but it is too late. I thrust my palms outward and two chakra blades shoot out and piercing his shoulders once more. I move them towards each other and allowed them to tie themselves into a tiny knot. I jerk the small makeshift lasso towards me and Neji's body flies towards my direction. I put one hand up to catch him from falling and then I lean into his ear.

"It looks like you're within my range, now," I whisper.

I shove Neji away and get into the stance that I've been perfecting over the past month.

If someone is going to perform this technique perfectly without anybody dodging or using clones as decoys to ruin it, it is going to be me damnit!

" _Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms_!"

As I start to consecutive strike Neji all over his body, a strange feeling overwhelms body. A feeling of pride and happiness. Not because I am beating on Neji or because I know I'm about to win this match. I feel like I'm an inch closer to changing the Hyūga clan. I worked really hard this past month to perfect this difficult technique and now I'm showing it off to everybody in my clan. I'm slowly attempting to change Neji's mind about the way he sees our clan so he can help me out on this quest and hopefully it will be changed after this fight. I want our clan's council to realize that I am worthy enough to be the Head of our clan and not question if my younger sister will suit the job better. Her mind is starting to get corrupted, too, I realize last night, and I need to change her thinking. But, first I need to start small with Neji and work my way up.

" _Sixty-four palms_!"

I hit Neji for the last time and he soars backwards into the air and crashes to the ground. His body quivering in pain and he struggles to get up but is paralyzed.

"I...I cannot move," Neji gasps. I walk over to Neji and stand over him. He blinks slowly, seeming like he is trying to come to terms that I just beat him. "How… when? When did you switch yourself with a Shadow Clone? When did you even create a Shadow Clone? My...my Byakugan was on the whole time."

"At the beginning of the match," I reply. "When I created the two Shadow Clones so we can all get away from you, I had one transform into a squirrel as she substituted away from you. Since there are many trees in the arena, I figured you wouldn't pay much mind to a small woodland creature since such a small mammal are typically found in trees. Though, I also took the risk of you noticing that it is the only squirrel, well really animal, within the whole stadium."

"I...I briefly saw the animal when I scanned the area for you and your clones," Neji admits. "But, I didn't think anything of it. I didn't pay enough attention to it to realize it was your clone."

I tilt my head to the side. "That was my goal. I decided to attack you head on after you destroyed my first dummy and clone because you kind of ruined my plans at first. Attacking you head on allowed me to distract you while my clone jumped from tree to tree to set up the wire and traps for you."

Neji widen his eyes. "Basically, you had this planned the whole time?"

I shrug. "At first I did. But, then I had to improvise. Which, I do better at anyways I have came to figure out. I had you beat up on me towards the end so I can switch myself with my clone at the last second. As I did so, I transformed myself as a squirrel so I can trick you into thinking I wasn't able to switch at all and while my Shadow Clone took my place."

Which, now that I think about it, was also risky because my clone didn't have the bruises and such Neji had just given me prior. Thankfully, I was able to take advantage of the Byakugan powers and tried to keep his vision on tunnel mode to focus more on me than everything else around him.

Neji closes his eyes. "I see. It appears that you were destined this whole time to win and you have proven to be-"

I bent down and covered his mouth. "Shhhh. Enough with that destiny crap. Whether it is real or not, it doesn't make or break anybody. I don't believe someone's life is already set out for them the day they are born. Everybody is allowed to make their own choice and are eligible for change." I lean in closer to his ear. "Even our clan. Just remember what we talked about before. I need and want your help. That offer is still stands for you."

I remove my hand and stand up as a conflicted look appears on Neji's face. He seems to reflecting on what I just said. I hope he takes to heart what I have been telling him and changes his way of thinking. I don't know if this is his own way of thinking or if his father has been pounding stuff into his brain, but Neji has been in this state of mind since he was caught and punished by my father. I just don't want the two of us to grow apart and believe Neji is a major key factor to changing this clan since he is from the Branch House and was ripped away from becoming the heir by one measly minute.

Genma looks at the both of us to see if we were done talking.

"The winner of first match is Hyūga Hinata!"

I take a step back and allow the approaching medical Shinobi to lift Neji onto the stretcher and send him away.

Naruto pumps his fist up in the air. "Alright, Hinata!" "Good going, Hinata!" I hear Sakura shout.

The audience roars along with them.

With my Byakugan, I see Shikamaru smirking down at me with a "I knew she could do it" look on his face, Asuma is giving me a thumbs up, and Ebisu has his arms crossed and looks proud. I find where my clan is sitting and notice my father giving me a small smile as he applauds, my sister doing the same. Two rows behind the duo, I see my uncle shake his head and turn to walk away. Probably to visit Neji in the medical wing.

I stare out at everybody in awe as they cheer and applaud for me. My lips break into a smile and that feeling of pride and happiness continues to spread throughout my body. Even with the upcoming invasion and the fight I had to beat some sense into my cousin, I'm going to enjoy this moment of winning. I've worked hard and faced a lot of obstacles to get to this point so I'm going to soak up this five seconds of fame. I wave my hands around and stand there for a few more seconds before deciding I have been in the spotlight like long enough and head up to join the other spectators. I take the quick way up and run up the wall. I hop over the railing and land between Naruto and Shikamaru.

"Hey, guys!" I greet with a wave. Before I deactivate my Byakugan, I notice Gaara staring a hole right through me, but I choose to ignore it.

"Hinata! You did great out there!" Naruto compliments. "You had me and the whole entire audience confused until you explained to Neji what you did!"

Shikamaru nods. "You even had me scratching my head. I had wondered where your clone went, but thought maybe you had got rid of it to gain more chakra back."

I shake my head and start to unblock the areas that Neji hit. I don't need to be weak and restricted during the invasion. "Nope. I just remember Ebisu's teachings and took it to play."

Which, by the way, I need to thank him later.

Naruto's eyes widen. "Wait a minute! That closet pervert trained you!"

I squint my eyes. "Yes, and he is a very good instructor."

Naruto waves his hands. "Mah. Mah. Whatever. Sure he is. One time at showing him my _Sexy Jutsu_ and he's down for the count."

I just stare at him. "That's almost anybody, Naruto."

Naruto stands his ground. "I still don't care for him."

"Okay, Naruto."

"The second match will consist of Temari vs Uzumaki Naruto!" Genma calls out. "Will both participants please make their way down?"

Temari decides to make a dramatic entrance by flying down into the arena with her fan and landing gracefully.

"Alright! I'm next!" Naruto cheers, smacking his fists together. "Hey, Hinata! Do you have any advice to give me like last time?"

I shrug. "I mean, I was knocked out during her match with Shino so how should I know how she fights? All I know is that she has Wind Release and uses her fan as a weapon."

Naruto frowns. "Oh, yeah. I forgot you were unconscious. I just thought your advice helped me out a lot last time and it is one of the reasons I won because I was focusing on that stupid doll."

"Puppet!" Kankuro randomly shouts.

I shift my eyes over to him. "What are you doing over here? This area is for contestants only."

He ignores me and smacks his forehead and sighs. "Temari! Please avenge me and take down this idiot!"

Temari scoffs. "Tch. You're the idiot. I'm not avenging someone who lost because he was distracted by a preteen boy who transformed into a sexy naked girl!"

The whole audience grows silent as Kankuro face goes blood red.

I blink. "Anyways… the only advice I guess I can give you is that remember you are fighting for the purpose of becoming a Chunin. Think what would a Chunin do before taking action. I know it is in your nature to do so, but don't just charge head first into a battle without a plan. I know you are "Konoha's most unpredictable Shinobi, but you can be unpredictable and still fight smart."

Naruto is pretty good at thinking outside of the box and coming up with strange yet workable plans when he needs to.

Naruto nods. "Okay, thanks! I will keep that in mind." He rubs his chin. "Now, that girl made a really good entrance and I don't want her to outdo me…"

Kankuro springs up out of nowhere and tosses Naruto over the railing before he can react. "Here! There's your grand entrance!"

Naruto crashes to the ground and shakes his fist at Kankuro. "What the hell was that for?!"

Kankuro starts to whistle, pretending he didn't hear Naruto.

Naruto mumbles something underneath his breath as he gets up to brush himself off and then dashes over to Genma and Temari.

"I hate your brother," Naruto tells Temari as he approaches her.

"They both hate you, too," Temari says.

Naruto raises his eyebrows. "I was talking about the one in the cat suit."

"I know."

"O-okay."

Kankuro groans. "Great, now he has everybody thinking I play with dolls, I dress up like a cat, and I wear makeup."

Ino stares at him up and down. "Do you blame Naruto?"

"Yeah. Are you transgendered?" Shikamaru asks.

"Or do you have a case of mistaken identity and believe you are a female cat?" I join in. "Do you crave milk?"

"He loves milk!" Temari shouts.

"You're not helping!" Kankuro yells. He glances over at his younger brother for backup. "Gaara! Tell them that-"

"Shut up."

Kankuro frowns and _Body Flickers_ away before anyone else can taunt him.

Genma coughs to cover the amused smirk on his face.

"Ahem… The second match of the Third Exam between Temari and Uzumaki Naruto will begin now!"

He jumps out of the way to give them room to fight.

Instantly, Naruto starts to leap several paces back to gain against. Temari just tilts her head to one side and watches him as he stops after a second and shoves his hand into his weapons pouch. He pulls one kunai and hurls it towards Temari. She sighs, pulls out her fan, and leisurely waves it aside, sending a small blast of air out to blow away the kunai.

"You know, I realize you are loud and obnoxious but I didn't think you were stupid," Temari says to Naruto.

Naruto smirks. "Heh, don't count me out just yet. I was just testing to see if a weapon could get through your wind."

"Why in the world would you think a weapon could get through my wind if that guy's bugs couldn't?" Temari questions.

"Because a kunai is bigger and weighs more than a bug," Naruto replies.

"I-Nevermind. I understand what you're saying, but it will not work."

Naruto seems to want to test Temari's word and hurls three more kunai towards Temari.

"I just told you it won't work!" Temari exclaims. "Increasing the number of kunai isn't going to do jackshit!"

She flicks her fan aside once more to deflect the weapons. As the small gust of wind shoots out, Naruto weaves his hands together.

" _Wind Style: Great Breakthrough_!"

Wait… when did he learn Wind Release? He's about three years to early.

A large blast of wind expels out of Naruto's mouth and collides with Temari's blast of wind, resorting in a explosion of dust. Temari, me, and everyone else in the audience shields their face with their arms as dust and debris swirl around everywhere. When everything clears up, it is revealed that Naruto is nowhere to be seen. I activate my Byakugan and notice that he had created many Shadow Clones and they are all hidden behind the trees.

Now, that's thinking like a Chunin.

"That's how you use your head, Naruto!" Ino cheers.

A look of annoyance flickers across Temari's face and she starts shooting multiple gusts of wind towards the trees. Branches and leaves start to break off the trees and I see a few of Naruto's clones tumble backwards against the wall and hitting their heads hard, causing they to instantly dissipate. Which, I assume a few missing clones isn't going to mess up Naruto's plans, if he even has one, since he has created so many. Basically a small army.

Suddenly, four Narutos shoot out of the trees and straight towards Temari, ready to pounce. Temari leaps backwards for good measure and shoots out another around of wind towards the clones. As she does that, another group charges out of the trees behind her. Temari quickly picks up on their chakra presence and sends more wind out towards them without even turning around or waving her fan. All eight clones get hit and poof away.

Temari has great control of her chakra and Wind Release if she is able to send out two separate blasts of winds like that without barely lifting a finger. This match is not going to be easy for Naruto if he stays hidden and doesn't find a way to get close to her without getting hit since she is a long-range fighter. I wonder if Jiraiya decided to teach Naruto some Wind Release Jutsus because Naruto informed him about his opponent. While I'm happy someone is finally expanding Naruto's jutsu arsenal, I really hope Jiraiya still taught him Summoning Jutsu. That jutsu is the key factor to defeating Gaara.

Temari sighs, looking bored, and all of the Narutos shrug in response to Temari and remain hidden. Then, eight more Shadows Clones comes out of the trees once again in two different groups to attack Temari and once again she blows them away. This happens one more time and as the Narutos charge after Temari, I see one Naruto, probably the real one, weaving hand signs and breathes out a large blast of wind. As Temari shoots out her wind to get rid of the surrounding clones, Naruto's blast of wind rushes straight towards her as its own third army and makes contact with her before she is able to deflect. Her attacks immediately cuts off as she is hurled to the ground, getting slightly cut up in the process from the sharp winds.

The four remaining clones that were not damaged from Temari's attacks takes this opportunity and take off after her. One clone brings his fist down and punches her in the face while the other three clones tackle her. Temari flails around, knocks the clones away with a small gale, and leaps several spaces away. The clones tumble to the ground and disappear. Two more clones appears from behind Temari and she bats them away with her fan, causing the clones to explode. She is sent flying backwards from the force of the sudden explosion and rolls to the ground.

Hmmm, it looks like Naruto is stealing my team's tactics of using explosive tags. No fair.

Temari groans and lifts her body up with her arms. She closes her as to cough and when she opens them she finds herself surrounded by Naruto and the rest of his Shadow Clones. With a battle cry, all of them run towards her with the intention of quickly overwhelming her before she can recover and blow them away.

One clone springs forward and punches Temari square in the face. " _U-_ "

As Temari tumbles backwards, the other three clones sweep in to kick her into the air. " _ZU-MA-KI_ …"

The real Naruto jumps on top of one of his clones and leaps upward as Temari is launched into the air, assaulting her with a somersaulting heel drop. " _NARUTO BARRAGE_!"

Temari slams back to the ground, smacking her face hard. Naruto lands and skids backward on his feet and he and his clones stand on guard and stare down Temari. She groans, rubs her now bruised nose, and glares at Naruto.

Dang. This girl is tough. I'm surprised she is even standing consider Naruto has some powerful force behind his punches and kicks when it comes to striking his opponents with his fists or feet. Though, I do not expect for Temari to be defeated so easily since she is the Kazekage's daughter and a pretty strong kunoichi.

Everybody watches Temari, waiting for her next attack. She glances up at Gaara, and then to Kankuro, and then to her "father". She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and sighs. She opens her eyes, narrows them, and slightly clenches her jaw.

"I...I." She clears her throat. "I give up! I forfeit this match!"

What?! Why the hell is she giving up?

Naruto blinks. "Are you serious?"

Genma curiously raises an eyebrow.

Kankuro grips the railing and Gaara doesn't react.

The "Kazekage" arches an eyebrow as the Hokage narrows his.

"Woah. Didn't see that one coming," Shikamaru says.

"Why is she giving up?" Ino wonders.

The audience is silent for a second and then…

"SHE WHAT?"

Naruto and his clones raise up the fists. "What the hell are you doing?!" they all shout. "Why are you just giving up like that for?!"

Temari crosses her arms. "You had me surrounded. Even if I kept knocking you back with my _Wind Scythe Jutsu_ , all I would be doing is wasting chakra. I couldn't exactly just come after you before since you decided to create an army of clones and hide within the trees. I was outnumbered."

I wonder if it was Naruto's plan to have Temari waste her chakra while he remained hidden and sent out clones as a distraction until she exhausted herself. Well, I guess Temari giving up does make sense, but damn I'm surprised. If I were her and I was about to appreciate in an invasion then I wouldn't want to get hurt to badly and I guess would probably give up, too.

"Well, so?" Naruto replies. "You gave up too quickly! We only fought for like five minutes! You could've thought of something!"

Temari places her hands on her hips. "I gave up. Deal with it. In fact, you should be elated because you won your match."

Naruto lets out an exasperated sigh and throws his hands up in the air. "Yeah, but it isn't the same! I wanted to win fair and square."

Temari shrugs, spins around and starts to leave the arena as the crowd boos her. I don't know where she is going though since she isn't making her way back towards us.

Genma glances over at Naruto. "Sorry, kid," he mumbles and then speaks louder. "By forfeit, the winner of the second match is Uzumaki Naruto!"

Naruto scowls, dissipates his clones, and stomps off the field. When he comes back up to join us, he exclaims, "I'm so pissed off! This isn't how I wanted to win my match!"

Ahhh, poor Naruto. I feel bad for him. I know he just wanted to win fair and square and show all of his hard work from the past month so he can gain respect from the villagers.

I place a hand on his shoulder. "You still did great! You got to knock her around a bit and had her surrounded. That is why she felt pressured to go ahead and give up because she already knew you were gonna beat her!"

Naruto shakes his head. "Nah. I still think she gave up too soon. She was thinking hard about something before doing so. I can tell by the look on her face." He sighs. "Besides, was my efforts good enough for me to become a Chunin? My match didn't last that long."

"That doesn't matter Naruto," I tell him. "Your match could've lasted for thirty seconds and still become a Chunin. I would actually think a shorter match would impression the spectators more since you was able to defeat the enemy quickly and easily without wasting too much time and energy."

Naruto gives me an annoyed glance. "Yeah, but I didn't defeat my opponent. She gave up."

"Actually, Hinata has a point," Shikamaru joins in. "If this battle had happened on a mission, it would've been deemed successful because you were able to surround the enemy and capture her because she gave up."

Naruto cocks his head to the side. "That does make sense, but…"

Ino nods. "They're right, Naruto, so stop worrying about it! You used that head of yours for once and you won. You should be happy!"

Naruto sighs and then gives us a small smile. "Thanks, everyone. I am happy that I won. I… I just wanted to win in a different way. That's all."

I playfully shove him. "Well, you're suppose to fight me next so you can show off all your skills then!"

Naruto widen his eyes. "My next match is with you?! No way! I'm getting excited now!"

Heh, I kind of wish I was fighting Naruto because I kind of want to see how I would fare against him. Why does Orochimaru have to ruin everything? Why can't he start his invasion after the Exams are over when everyone is tired and distracted?

Actually, I think that would've been a better idea on his part.

See, I would make a better Orochimaru.

"Hey! What's going on down there?" Ino asks, pointing down at the arena.

We all look down to see a Shinobi with strange scarring on his face whispering something into Genma's ear. Genma nods and the man _Body Flickers_ away.

"Listen, everyone!" Genma calls out to the still booing crowd, only now they are complaining about Sasuke not being there instead of Temari's quitting. "One of your competitors for the next match have not arrived yet so we are going to simply postpone this match and move on to the next one. Nara Shikamaru and Yamanaka Ino! Come on down."

"What?! Sasuke-kun isn't fighting?" Ino says, looking worried. "Why not?"

"Yeah! Where the hell is that teme?!" Naruto shouts. "What can he be doing that is more important than this?"

Naruto glances over at Gaara to see what he is thinking about all of this and he appears slightly confused and annoyed.

"Oh, man! I have to fight now?" Shikamaru whines. "This is all so sudden!"

Ino cracks her knuckles. "Well, Sasuke better get his butt here if he wants to fight after us. Come on, Shikamaru." She jumps over the railing and into the arena.

I look over at Shikamaru. "Aren't you going?"

Shikamaru takes a step back. "I don't know. I really don't want to because I was expecting to go last! Maybe I should just give up like Temari and…"

Before he can react, I quickly grab Shikamaru by the arm and hurl him over the railing. "You are not withdrawing!"

"Ahhh!" Shikamaru yells as he falls and crashes to the ground.

Naruto gives me a frightened look. "Was...was that necessary?"

I shrug. "No, but I wasn't going to let him even consider backing out." Naruto just blinks. "Hey, don't give me that look. You're acting like I'm such a violent person."

I'm only rarely violent towards a certain lazy boy who wears his hair in a pineapple style.

"Geez. That's pretty pathetic that Hinata had to throw you over the railing just to get you to fight," Ino taunts as she narrows her eyebrows. "Do you even want to become a Chunin?"

Shikamaru doesn't reply and just glares up at me as I smirk down at him and wink.

"Hey! I am talking to you, Shikamaru!" Ino shrieks.

Shikamaru sighs. "Not really."

"I can't hear you! Ugh! Just get up already!"

Shikamaru lays there for a few more seconds before he finally gets up and strolls over to the middle of the arena with Genma and Ino.

"I said, not really," Shikamaru repeats. "I have no urge to become a Chunin. It will just mean more work for me. However, I guess I'll fight you so I don't get showed up by a girl."

Ino glares daggers at Shikamaru. "W-what?! That's your only motivation to fight me?! How… How can you say something so sexist when you are on a team with two females?"

Shikamaru rubs the back of his neck. "Don't get so offended. I don't mean it personally. It is just how I feel."

Ino balls her hands up into a fist. "I swear if you go easy on me because I am a girl then I'm totally kicking your ass!"

You know, this might be an easy match for Shikamaru if he just keeps getting Ino angry.

"The third match between Nara Shikamaru and Yamanaka Ino begins now!" Genma quickly declares before Ino can argue anymore and jumps away.

"Well, here goes nothing," Shikamaru mumbles. He bends down. " _Shadow Possession Jutsu_!"

A shadow extends out towards Ino and she easily jumps out of the way.

"Don't start with this crap, Shikamaru!" Ino hollers out. "I know you can do better than that. I'm not stupid."

"Fine," Shikamaru replies. He retracts his shadow and pulls out a kunai.

Shikamaru has this match in the bag. While Ino did put up a good fight against Sakura, Shikamaru is a better strategist than Sakura even though she knows more techniques.

He hurls the kunai towards Ino and she hops out of the way again and throws her own kunai. Shikamaru rolls out of the way to evade it.

" _Earth Style: Hiding Like a Mole Jutsu_!"

The ground below him turns into fine sand and he quickly burrows underground. As he does so, Ino rushes over to the hole, stands over it, and begins to weave hand signs.

" _Water Style: Gunshot_!"

She starts spitting out mini sized waterballs into the newly created hole. With my Byakugan, I see the water running through the tunnel and it is starting to fill it up.

Shit! Shikamaru is going to have to get out of there or he's going to drown.

About ten feet away from Ino, a new hole appears and Shikamaru pops out of it and leaps to the side just as a geyser of water spouts out of it.

"You're just going to keep doing that everytime I create a hole, huh?" Shikamaru asks, looking mildly annoyed.

Ino nods. "Yep."

"Figures."

Shikamaru turns around and bolts to the walls of the arena. Ino watches him carefully as he presses himself up against it and kneels down. He cups his hands together and shuts his eyes as a million plans start to fling around in his mind.

"What… What is Shikamaru doing?" Naruto asks me.

"He gets in that stance when he is planning out his next attack," I reply.

"Oh," Naruto says. He looks down at the arena. "Hey! Ino! Go after Shikamaru! He's thinking of a plan right now!"

I elbow Naruto's side. "Naruto!"

Traitor.

Naruto grins. "What? I'm just helping Ino out!"

Ino follows her teammate's advice and starts running towards Shikamaru. His eyes fly open and his hands changes over to the Rat seal and his shadow shoots after Ino. She pauses in her tracks and starts backtracking to avoid getting caught in his shadow. The shadow stops traveling after a second and Ino draws a line in the dirt to determine where it stopped before the shadow retreats back to it's owner. Shikamaru digs underground once more and Ino starts after him to fill it up with water again, when she suddenly stops. She closes her eyes and just stands there for a few seconds.

I wonder what she is doing? And, I wonder why Shikamaru is just hiding in his hole and not burrowing around. Is he planning attacking her or something when she goes over there? That would be smart.

Ino opens her eyes and continues running again. Except, instead of running towards the whole, she changes courses and runs over to the tree right next to the hole. She jumps up on a branch and then sticks herself to the wall, positioning herself at angle to where she is looking right into Shikamaru's hole. She pulls out a kunai, slaps an explosive tag on it, and throws it into the hole. The tag goes off and the hole starts to cave in with dirt. I see the small explosion making contact with Shikamaru and he skids forward on his stomach, mildly scorched. He brushes himself off and starts to crawl away from Ino. Ino lands on the ground and heads over to the middle of the arena. She plants her feet down and closes her eyes once more.

What the hell is she doing? Why does she keep closing her eyes like that?

As she stands there, Shikamaru creates a clone underneath the ground, right beneath where Ino is standing, and scurries away. The clone pushes his hands through the dirt to grab Ino by the ankles, but she jumps into the air at the last second, as if she was expecting the surprise attack. She hurls two shurikens at the clone's outreached arms and the clone instantly poofs away. She lands and closes her eyes again. As she does so, I see Shikamaru finishing the final touches of his plan and then burrows deeper underground.

Okay, I think I understand his plan. Well, sort of. I don't understand why he is digging further and further underground though. He isn't going to beat Ino that way.

Shikamaru finally stops digging, turns around, and forms his hands together to the Rat seal. His shadow extends out of his body once more and begins to climb back up the surface. It slither its way out of the whole and heads towards Ino. Her eye's quickly open and she begins leaping backwards. The shadow stops moving after a while and Ino stops as well. From underground, Shikamaru lifts up two fingers and starts to frantically dig towards the surface. Buried shallowly underground, his explosive tags start to go off all around Ino. Her eyes widen as she begins to leap around for her life. It seems like everywhere she stepped, an explosion occurred. She spins around decides to seek shelter in the holes filled with water. That spot appeared safe. Ino remains hidden underwater until the field is done exploding. The smoke clears away and it is revealed that there are now mini craters all over the arena.

Whoever is in charge of the landscaping of this place is not going to be very happy when they see this.

Ino emerges from the water and smirks, seeming proud of herself to have avoided Shikamaru's death traps. She rises up and starts to climb out, but freezes. As she freezes on the spot, a wet Shikamaru also appears from the water and coughs from lack of oxygen. He gets out of the water, but allows Ino to remain in. On the ground, I see a shadow connecting itself from Shikamaru's feet to somewhere underneath the water.

I deactivate my Byakugan. Okay, so I wasn't really paying attention since I was focused on Ino so I'm going to wait for their explanation to see what just happened.

" _Shadow Possession Jutsu_. Complete."

"H-how did you get me?" Ino asks.

"The second you went underwater," Shikamaru replies as he wrings out his shirt. "I was waiting on you while you were avoiding my explosions."

Ino's eyes widen. "You distracted me from sensing you!"

Sensing him? What?

"Yeah, I kind of figured you were sensing me some how when you avoided my clone," Shikamaru admits.

"I'm not that skilled yet, but I can sense chakra movement if I focus hard enough," Ino explains. "I stopped coming after you when you created that hole near the wall because I sensed you weren't move. So, I figured you were trying to trick me so you can jump out and ambush me. I stopped sensing you the second you started digging deeper underground, though it didn't occur to me that you had me figured out."

So, she was trying to sense his movement when she was just standing their and closing her eyes? Pretty neat. And, that's why Shikamaru was burrowing deeper underground.

"Bingo," Shikamaru says. "As you were paying attention to saving your life from the explosion, I traveled back over to my original tunnel and risked getting myself wet in order to trap you with my shadow. Underwater, underground. My shadow can travel anywhere."

Ino arches an eyebrow. "Well, you have me. Whatcha gonna do now? Drown me until I forfeit? I doubt you have it in you to do such a thing."

Shikamaru smirks. "It isn't smart to underestimate your opponent, Ino."

Ino's eyes slightly widen in fear. "What?"

Shikamaru shrugs. "But, you're right. I don't have it in me. I would never hear the end of it from you." He makes some hand signs and holds up his right hand as it starts to cackle with a small surge of lightning. "But, I can dunk my hand underwater and give you a permanent bad hair day unless you forfeit."

Why are Shikamaru and Sakura learning these cool ninjutsu and genjutsu techniques, but not me?! That's going next on my list.

"You wouldn't…" Ino gasps.

Shikamaru slowly starts to put his hand closer to the water. "You have a count of three, Ino. One… two…"

"Okay! Okay! I give up!" Ino shouts as she holds onto her hair.

Genma steps over to Ino and Shikamaru. "The winner of the third match is Nara Shikamaru!"

The audience erupts into a round of cheers as I join in.

"Yay, Shikamaru! Whoohooo!"

Naruto hangs his head. "Damn, Ino lost. Now, she's going to be bitching about it forever."

Shikamaru gets rid of his lightning and let's up his control on Ino. He walks over and helps her out of the waterhole.

"You know, that attack would've barely done anything," he informs her. "It didn't have that much power backing it up. In fact, that technique doesn't mean have a name. I just learned how to slightly manipulate Lightning Release chakra so I can go against your Water Release jutsus. It isn't my forte anyways."

Ino blinks. "You actually went out of your way to learn something?"

Shikamaru scratches the back of his head. "Well, not really. Asuma insisting that I learned such a thing if I wanted to win. My only Earth Release Jutsu and _Shadow Possession Jutsu_ wasn't just going to cut it."

Ino starts to shiver. "Well, now I wish you knew a Fire jutsu to warm me up. Ugh! Where's Sasuke-kun when I need him?"

Shikamaru sighs. "Why does everything end up relating back to that guy?"

Ino's eyebrow twitches. "You got a problem with that?"

Shikamaru rolls his eyes. "Troublesome. Let's just go back up with the others."

"So, are you happy now that I pushed you off the railing?" I ask as they approach us.

Shikamaru frowns. "No. In fact, I hate you."

"See, I knew you would appreciate me."

"I didn't say that."

"You're welcome!"

"Tch."

"I can't believe you lost to that lazy ass," Naruto says to Ino.

Ino shoves him away. "Don't start, Naruto."

"Listen up, everyone!" Genma hollers out to the crowd. "We will be having a short intermission. Sasuke will have ten minutes to get here. If he isn't here within the time limit then he is disqualified."

Naruto snaps his head around. "What?! No way! He can't be disqualified!"

Ino furrows her eyebrows together in concern. "Where in the world can he and Kakashi-sensei be?"

I look over at Shikamaru. "Do you realize that you have to fight Gaara after Naruto and I if Sasuke doesn't show up?"

A look of panic flickers across Shikamaru's face. "Sasuke! You better get you ass here now!" he shouts.

From below, Genma holds out a watch. "The countdown starts… now!"

I nod.

The countdown starts now and so does my plan.

 **Author's Note: OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT I HAVE 1000 FOLLOWERS NOW! Thank you so much, everyone! I never expected for my story to get so much attention. I was expecting like 500 followers, max. Now, my next goal is to get to 1000 reviews so chop chop people! Just kidding. Don't feel pressured. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I'm not really good at writing fight scenes but you guys reassure me that I'm not that bad so I will believe you guys! So, it looks like Hinata, Naruto, and Shikamaru have all won their matches so far, but will it be enough to become Chunin? Especially in Naruto's case since Temari gave up on him.**


	27. Chapter 27: Chunin Exams Arc: Part 3

**(I put up Chapters 26 and 27 at once so read chapter 26 first!)**

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

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 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Chunin Exams Arc: Part Three**

 **Chapter twenty-seven**

I turn towards my friends. "I'll be right back."

Naruto raises an eyebrow. "Where are you going? Don't you want to wait around to see Sasuke when he shows up?"

I wave my hand. "He missed all of our fights so he will be fine if I step away for a few minutes. I'm going to find my father to see what he thought of my match with Neji."

"Oh, okay," Naruto says.

"Hey! Can you bring me a few paper towels from the restroom on your way back?" Ino asks. "I would go, but I kind of want to wait around and see if Sasuke shows up."

I nod. "Yeah! I will. Don't worry about it."

I walk off and do not stop until I reach the restrooms. The restroom is not outside like the stands are. It is like within a walkway so no one will be able to see me lingering around. Seeing that no one is around, I activate my Byakugan and start to scan the whole stadium. In various places throughout the crowds stands or sits Anbu Black Ops. As I look past their masks, I notice that about the majority of the Anbu are Oto Shinobi in disguise while only a small handful were actual Konoha Shinobi. That means either the Oto Shinobi murdered a crap ton of Anbu or somehow got ahold of their masks and the actual Anbus are elsewhere. I continue to look around for a certain group of Shinobi: The Oto Four. If memory serves me correctly than those are the four that created some sort of barrier to trap Orochimaru and the Hokage while they fought.

I notice one of the members, a tall man with three patches of orange hair, appears to be the closest one to me as he is sitting in the stands just up ahead. All the way across the arena is the short female with dark pink hair. The other two members, the one guy with multiple arms and the guy with another head sticking behind his own, is standing just off to the side of the Hokage. Just from sweeping through while I search for the Oto Four, I find Kabuto standing behind a row of civilians. I believe that is where he is going to activate his signal since he isn't around any Shinobi.

Okay, now that I have located the more important people involved in the invasion, I have to-

"Hey, Hinata! I thought you were looking for your father?" I hear Shikamaru call out from behind me.

Shit! Why did he follow me?

I spin around and he gives me a strange look. "Why is your Byakugan on?"

"I forgot where my father was sitting so I was searching for him," I lie.

"Oh, well. I'm just coming to dry myself off because I don't really care to wait around for Sasuke," Shikamaru tells me as he reaches for the men's restroom handle.

Suddenly, with my Byakugan, I see the orange headed guy get up from his seat and is making his way over towards us. Where is he going? Probably to the other side of the arena to group up with the female since this is the only way to it. Hell, so much for coming up with a diversion to lure away one of the Oto Four and attacking them. I can just drag Shikamaru with me and ambush the guy.

"Shikamaru!" I abruptly say, filling my voice with panic. "T-there's Oto Shinobi in the stands disguised as Anbu!"

Shikamaru widens his eyes. "What?! Are you sure?"

I franticly nod. "Yes! I just spotted a few with my Byakugan. In fact, one of them is heading our way!"

"Oh, man!" Shikamaru gasps. "I bet this has something to do with that Orochimaru freak. We gotta inform someone!"

"Asuma-sensei and Kurenai-sensei are just up head so we can tell them," I say. "However, we are going to have to pass the Oto Shinobi." I hold up two fingers. "It will be two against one. Why don't we just tag team and ambush him?"

Shikamaru raises his eyebrows up. "Are you insane? We don't know what Orochimaru's men are capable of. The last Oto Shinobi you fought, you ended up with a sprained wrist and felt sick for hours afterwards."

"That is because they ambushed us," I remind him even though he was knocked out during that fight. "We will be ambushing one of them this time."

Shikamaru sighs. "Great. I just finished winning a fight and now I'm about to get into another one. I'm kind of low on chakra so I really hope you have a plan."

"Well, this guys is so much taller than us and larger," I inform him. "So, we have the element of surprise and speed on our side. We can just simply act like we are walking past him and then you can grab ahold of him with your shadows while I block his chakra points."

Actually, my goal is to kill him so we don't have to worry about him later. But, Shikamaru doesn't need to know that. I can kill the Oto Four Shinobi by "accident".

"And, are you sure that Anbu is really an-"

I cut him off and grab his hand. "Yes, I'm sure. Now, let's go!" I start to drag Shikamaru down the walkway.

"H-hey!"

We hurry along and slow down our pace as the Oto Shinobi approaches us. I drop Shikamaru's hand and we act casually as we walk by the false Anbu. He doesn't pay much mind to us and we don't make eye contact with him as we cross paths. When he is a few feet behind us, Shikamaru sneaks his shadow towards the man and successfully captures him. Before the man can react, I leap over in front of the orange head and start to strike his chakra pathways. He groans in pain and struggles to take a step forward, slowly breaking Shikamaru's control.

This guy is very physically strong and he will totally break free in just a few seconds. I don't think me blocking his chakra points alone is going to stop him.

I activate my chakra scalpels, plunge my hand into his stomach, and slice it open, easily cutting into his skin and flesh. Behind the mask, the Oto Shinobi's eyes widen and coughs up some blood. His arms fly to his stomach and I decide end his misery by swiftly yanking his mask off and slashing through his neck. I shove him away and sidestep towards Shikamaru to avoid getting blood splattered on me as it gushes out like a mini waterfall. The man's body quivers for a moment as he stumbles around and then he crumples to the ground, dead instantly from bleeding out. Shikamaru just blinks and stares at me as I wipe the blood and guts off of my hand on the Oto Shinobi's cloak.

My third kill, and I am counting Hidan because my attack would've killed any normal person, as a rookie Genin and I still don't feel nothing. The first time, I wanted to freak out and vomit. The second time, I hesitated but ended up killing Dosu and didn't feel anything. This time, I wanted to kill this guy without a second thought and did it so swiftly and skillfully, well in my opinion since I only got blood on my hand and that was uneventful. I didn't enjoy killing him, but I'm not feeling bad or freaked out or anything about it. I just enjoy the fact that I'm taking out the enemy, one by one.

I wonder if there is such thing as therapy for Shinobi?

"I thought you were just blocking his chakra points?" Shikamaru says to me.

"Didn't you see how strong he was?" I ask. "He was breaking your hold. He would've clobbered us in seconds. Plus, he's the enemy. Who cares?"

Shikamaru arches an eyebrow. "Who cares? You just killed the guy without batting an eye and then nonchalantly wiped his blood off of his cloak."

"I mean, I didn't want to scare the civilians and walk into the stands with blood dripping off of my hand," I tell him lightheartedly.

Why does everybody treat me like I'm some villain when I'm only killing the bad guys? Shinobis are trained to kill, anyways!

Shikamaru just nods slowly. "Okay. Well, let's just go tell Asuma."

I swear he better not act all weird and distant from me after this invasion. I will not be as nice to him as I was to Ino. I will go kick his ass if he does such a thing.

"Hold on," I say and create a Shadow Clone. "She's going to keep watch over this guy while we go away."

Actually, her real role is to not only stand watch of this guy but to stand guard from any other Oto Shinobi under disguise that may come through and notice them. If they try to attack, she will be able to see who they are with her Byakugan before poofing away, sending her memories to me. But, she is only to do so if it is Kabuto or one of the other Oto Four Shinobi, which I am hoping will come to check on this guy when they realize he hasn't showed up to go on with their plan. Any other Oto Shinobi she can just go ahead and perform a surprise attack on them. If Kabuto or the other Oto Four comes, her poofing away will alert me and hoping me and a group of Genin or someone more stronger like Asuma can quickly go over and check it out with the intend to take them down. Basically, Asuma for Kabuto and Genin for the Oto Four, well Three now.

The less Shinobi that has a major part in this invasion the lives I can save and casualties I can prevent.

We take off towards the stands where Asuma and Kurenai are sitting. I can see that Sasuke still hasn't arrived yet so I must have a few minutes left to go about my plan.

"Asuma-sensei! Kurenai-sensei!" I call out, trying to make my voice sound casual and not alarmed.

The couple turns around waves me and Shikamaru down, but I shake my hand and wave them up instead. They exchange glances and make their way up to us. When they meet up with us, we pressed ourselves against the wall so nobody would hear us over the noise from the crowds.

"What's up?" Asuma asks. He rests his hands on mine and Shikamaru's head. "I just want to let you two know that I'm proud of you. You guys did great out there."

"Thanks," Shikamaru replies, giving our leader a half smile.

"Thank you, Asuma-sensei," I say back, flashing a quick smile. "But, we can talk about all this later. I have something urgent to tell you: there are Oto Shinobi all over this stadium that are disguised as Anbu Black Ops."

Both Jounin exchange glances once more, only appearing slightly alarmed.

If I recall, I believe most of the elite Shinobi figured that Orochimaru was going to try and pull something during the Chunin Exams so that is why they arranged for more Anbu than usual to be on patrol. Which is why they don't seem to alarmed right now.

"Are you sure?" Asuma questions. "This is a huge allegation."

I nod. "Yes. I saw them with my Byakugan when I was trying to find where my father was sitting."

"And, we took down one in the walkway on our way over here," Shikamaru adds in.

"Well, more like I killed him," I admit, lowering my voice.

Kurenai widens her eyes. "K-kill? Hinata, if that was one of our Anbu…"

I quickly shake my head. "I just told you it wasn't. My eyes never deceive me. I can bring you guys over to his body if you like. I have a Shadow Clone watching over him right now."

Asuma rubs his face. "Well, this is some predicament. No, we believe you." Kurenai leans in and whispers something in Asuma's ear and he sighs. "Okay, listen up you two. Kurenai is going to inform Guy and the other Jounin and Chunin. I want the two of you to gather up the Genin and spread out across the arena in small groups. Be prepared to assist civilians when an evacuation is announced and have them head towards the mountain."

"What are you going to do?" I ask.

"I'm going to go inform my old man," Asuma replies.

I resist the urge to smile. Asuma is making my plan so much easier for me like I knew he would.

"Ha. Sasuke is going to be so pissed off," Shikamaru remarks. "He should've shown up earlier."

I roll my eyes. "Let's just go. You go alert Sakura and them while I grab Naruto and Ino. We will meet up with you."

Shikamaru nods and we split up. I speed through the walkway again, passing my Shadow Clone who gives me a thumbs up, towards Naruto and Ino. As I do so, I create another clone to go find Temari and Kankuro.

The next step of my plan involve Naruto. I'm going to have him send out many Shadow Clones to go ahead and inform civilians that there has been a gas leak and they are trying to fix it but the Chunin Exams are on hold, not cancelled, until then. They are just being informed so they can decide whether to risk their lives and wait it out or go ahead and leave. Either way, an announcement will be made to when the Exams will resume and they don't have to pay anything to reenter.

I know this is probably the lamest excuse in the world, but most civilians are not going to question it because we are Shinobi and we are sort of like a mystery to them. Most of the time, they go with the flow with what we say because we are just trying to protect them and our village. I also realize this goes against Asuma in a way because we doing more than just waiting around for some signal, but we need to get as many people as we can out of the arena before the genjutsu is dropped. Either way, the evacuation alarms will go off throughout the village so they will be able to take shelter even without any of us to guide them.

While Naruto's clones are doing their part, my Shadow Clone is going to inform Temari and Kankuro that their are Oto Shinobi hidden in the arena and she is just telling them so they can decide whether to evacuate or possibly help us defend or village. Telling this information isn't going to really much do anything except tell them that we have been alerted that Orochimaru's minions are here, and possibly the Snake Sannin himself, so the Sand Siblings can decide whether they want to continue with being part of the plans or back out since half of their element of surprise is already out the window. I say half because the village doesn't know about Suna betraying us just yet. But, at least Temari and Kankuro will know that we are expecting anything and everything.

Plus, sending a Shadow Clone out instead of me is a better idea just incase they decide to go through with the plans and attempt to kill me. My Shadow Clone will poof away, which will allow me to go with the assumption that Suna is in on this as well and then I can go tell someone without being questioned.

I catch up with Ino and Naruto.

"Oh, Hinata!" Ino greets. "I hope you forgot to bring those towels because Naruto dried me off by blowing wind on me. Well, mostly did. We didn't think of the idea until after you and Shikamaru left so we are going to surprise him by having Naruto blow him as a prank when he gets back!"

Naruto smile proudly. "This prank was her idea! I'm rubbing off on her."

Lol, Naruto blowing Shikamaru. No stop. Be an adult. Be an adult. We are in a serious situation.

"It looks like you are going to have to… blow Shikamaru later, Naruto," I tell him. Okay, I'll stop now. I pull the two of them away so Gaara can't hear us and nobody will see us. "Something bad is about to go down." I quickly inform them on what is going on.

Ino gasps. "W-what? Are you serious?"

Naruto clenches his fists. "Why is that snake bastard so keen on capturing Sasuke? We need to stop him!"

"I do, too, Naruto," I assure him. "But, we have to follow the orders we were given first. Plus, Sasuke isn't even here yet so he is fine."

"Maybe he isn't here because he is already in Orochimaru's clutches!" Naruto snaps. "We have to find him!"

"I don't think Kakashi-sensei would allow anything to happen to Sasuke-kun," Ino says to her teammate in attempt to calm him down. "Let's just do what Asuma-sensei told Hinata so we can help out the villagers."

Naruto scoffs. "Fine."

"Before we go," I start. "I would like for you to create as much Shadow Clones as you can." I tell him about my plan. "I know Asuma didn't say to do that, but he had to rush off and tell the Hokage about all of this so I think this is the best way to have the civilians start evacuating without panicking which will alert the enemy."

"Wouldn't so many Narutos running around alert the enemy enough?" Ino asks.

Shit. I didn't think about that.

"Yes, it would," I reply. "However… it will be smart for his clones to use the _Transformation Jutsu_ to disguise themselves as a Shinobi who is dressed in casual clothing. You want to have the forehead protector on, but appear as common looking as possible. Also, try to avoid being around any "Anbu". You don't want them overhearing you."

Now that I think about it, they will basically believe any other Shinobi over Naruto since most of the villagers aren't too fond of him.

Naruto nods. "Gotcha." He puts his fingers together. " _Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu_!"

Many Shadow Clones surround the three of us. Then, he has all of his clones transform to a person he has created in his mind. The clones transform into a taller man who has a forehead protector around his forehead, has brown shaggy hair, brown eyes, and is wearing a white tee shirt and black pants.

"Great, Naruto," I say.

"Yeah, that's about as plain looking as a person can get," Ino mumbles.

"Alright, now let's go!" Naruto hollars.

The Shadow Clones scatter off to partake in their roles for my plan and we hurry off to meet up with Shikamaru and the other Genin. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Gaara looking over at us as we run off.

I hope he doesn't know what we are up to just yet.

As we are making their ways towards the group, a sudden barrage of memories hit me.

 _Hinata approached Temari and Kankuro who are standing behind an audience of people, leaning against the wall._

" _I'm glad I caught you guys!" Hinata said, catching her breathe._

 _Temari and Kankuro exchanged glances and Temari arched and eyebrow. "Why is that?"_

" _Are you guys going to ask me stupid questions again?" Kankuro asked, narrowing his eyes._

" _I think you're the one asking stupid questions," Temari muttered._

" _Oh, no," Hinata replied. "I just wanted to let you guys know that I think something is about to go down."_

 _Kankuro's eyebrow twitched, but Temari kept her cool composure. "What do you mean?"_

" _As you may figured out already, my Byakugan is able to see pretty well," Hinata explained to them without going into too much detail. She activated her Byakugan for emphasis. "While using it just a moment ago, I saw a bunch of Oto Shinobi who are under disguised as our Anbu. Now, I don't know if you guys know, but Orochimaru was seen around the Second Part of the Chunin Exams. So, we believe he may be planning something and is nearby. I'm just telling you guys this because an evacuation is about to occur and I wanted you guys to get a head start and go ahead and get out of here or perhaps stand and help us fight."_

 _The two Sand Siblings exchanged glances._

" _Thank you for being so kind enough as to tell us this information," Temari said. "Just give my brother and I a second."_

 _The two take a few steps back and start whispering to one another, making it seem like they are deciding a choice. Once they are done talking, hey nodded and walked back over to Hinata. As they do so, Kankuro nonchalantly pulled his arm behind his back and chakra threads shoot out of his finger to connect themselves to his puppet while Temari reached down towards her weapons pouch. Hinata noticed all of this this with her vision._

" _Oh, so you are deciding to stick around and help us out?" Hinata innocently asked, cocking her head to one side._

" _We never said such a thing," Temari remarked with a puzzled look on her face._

" _Then, why are you guys reaching for your weapons like that?" Hinata questioned, giving the siblings a suspicious glance._

 _Kankuro's eyes widened. "How did you… Damn! Her eyes!"_

 _Temari didn't say anything and flickered over to Hinata. She quickly pulled out a kunai and stabbed the clone in the stomach. She jumped back as Hinata bended over, grasping her stomach. She coughed and then fell to the ground. Kankuro and Temari looked around to see if anyone had noticed their actions and then proceeded to drag Hinata's body away. As they grabbed her ankles, the clone suddenly poofed away. The last thing the Shadow Clone heard before she disappeared was a "shit!" from Kankuro._

So, they ended up attacking my clone after all. I would have rathered they gathered up Gaara and bailed, but they didn't so I'm going to have to roll with it. At least I was prepared incase they tried to kill my clone.

I create the same Shadow Clone that just poofed away and order her to go tell a trusting elite Shinobi that the Suna and Oto Shinobi are working together

"Well, I am assuming Suna is in with Orochimaru," I say outloud to Ino and Naruto after the clone takes off.

They send me a bewildered look. "Why is that?!"

"I had sent my Shadow Clone to warn Temari and Kankuro since technically Asuma told me to round up all the Genin," I begin. "And, they turn around and stab my clone after she tells them what is going on!"

"Why the hell did you tell those guys for in the first place?" Ino exclaims. "They're not even from around here!"

"I was following orders," I say to Ino matter of factly.

"I highly doubt he meant those two," Ino argues.

"Either way, each party knows what is going on now and we got the upper hand since we found out first," I tell her. "We are already doing something about it."

"Have a little more faith in Hinata-chan," Naruto says to Ino. "She's pretty smart when it comes to situations like these, remember?"

Ino huffs in annoyance, but doesn't say anything more.

We meet up with the other Genin and I notice that Neji is amongst them.

I arch an eyebrow. "Neji? I thought you were in the medical ward."

"Well, I thought I was going to watch the rest of your matches, but it looks like we both thought wrong," Neji says back. "Hiashi-sama unblocked my chakra pathways and the medical Shinobi tended to me."

Why was my father is Neji and my uncle? I will ask them about that later.

"Well, now that everybody is here, I will tell you all how we are splitting up the teams," Shikamaru explains. So, it seems like he has already informed everyone about what is going on. "Basically, we are just going to go by our original teams and-"

Another batch of memories suddenly flood my mind. Two actually at once and I take a step back and grab my head as the memories overwhelm me for a second. It is from both of my Shadow Clones. The one I just sent away was making her way towards Guy when Kabuto, in his disguise still, comes out of nowhere and takes her down. My other clone poofed away at the sight of the dark pinked haired girl, so the other side pretty much knows that we know what is going on now.

All thanks to me.

I know. I can be awesome when I want to be.

"Hinata? Are you alright?" Neji asks, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I remove my hand from my head and nod. "Yeah."

Suddenly, I notice that two more chakra presences have arrived in my range of vision and I see that Kakashi and Sasuke has finally made their appearance. They must have arrived when I was reliving my Shadow Clone's memories and not paying attention. Genma and Guy are speaking to them in a tight circle, hopefully about what is going on. Probably so because Sasuke does not look very happy and I feel bad for him. He's done all of that training only for Orochimaru to come and ruin it all. As they talk Gaara suddenly appears from the staircase and is walking across the field. It seems like he hasn't received the memo yet that the Chunin Exams are over. Sasuke and Gaara lock eyes and Sasuke sneers.

And then, white feathers begin to rain down from the sky and I instantly feel my eyes start to droop. I shake my head and press my fingers together to release myself from the genjutsu. Around me, Sakura, Neji, Shino, and Shikamaru quickly do the same except the rest of the Genin aren't so lucky and they are knocked out in a heartbeat.

Perks of training and being on a team with Sakura, you quickly become more resistant to genjutsu.

I turn around to wake the nearest person up when I see a flicker of a figure dart around to my left. I spin around on my feet and slam my palm into the chest of the incoming Oto Shinobi. His eyes go wide and he falls to the ground, immediately going into cardiac arrest. Neji, Shino, Shikamaru, Sakura, and I go on the offensive as we join our backs together to cover every angle and we begin fighting as Oto Shinobi start flooding the stands and arena. I breakaway and rush forward a few steps to take down one minon. He senses me coming and flips directly over me. As he is in the air, I thrust my palm upward and a chakra blade shoots out and stabs through his body. He freezes and I take that moment to break my connection and allow him to drop. As he falls, I ram my palm into his chest and toss him aside, sending him into cardiac arrest, too.

Three more Oto Shinobi leap out of their seats and target Sakura, who is already going toe to toe with one of them. I twirl over to her side and start to wave my hands around to create a mini barrier between us and them. They collide with my barrier and are sent flying backwards. As they land and start to get back up, Shikamaru prevents them from doing so with his shadows. Sakura and I pull out a kunai and we rush forward and slash the kunai through their stomachs. I turn around to take down the next upcoming minion, but take a step back towards Sakura and allow Neji to handle him when I realize that Sakura isn't moving. I see that she has a look of fear and shock on her face as she stares at the two Shinobi she just killed.

Oh, yeah. This is her first kill. Shit.

I lightly pat her face. "Hey, Sakura! I know this is your first kill and you are in shock, but now is not the time to freezing up."

Sakura snaps back out of it and just nods. I trust that she is okay and turn to help out Neji when I see that he is doing fine on his own. So is Shikamaru and Shino. Since my corner is Shinobi free for now, I take this split second to check out what Sasuke is doing in the arena. I see Sasuke and Gaara are having a stand off while Kakashi, Guy, and Genma are standing beside of Sasuke and is facing off with Gaara's sensei.

"Gaara! Have you already forgotten your role in all of this?" his sensei hisses. "You need to stop standing around and transform already!"

" **He's** wanting his blood first," Gaara mumbles and continues to glare at Sasuke with a bloodthirsty look in his eyes.

"Look, I still want to fight you and it looks like you want to still fight me so now is the perfect time to," Sasuke says to the red head.

He starts to take a step forward, but Guy grabs his arm. "I think it is best if you go help out your friends. Leave this to us!" He flashes him a "nice guy" smile.

Sasuke narrows his eyes. "I can help out down here. I haven't been training all month for nothing."

"I know you're upset, Sasuke. But, now isn't the time to be sulking and wanting to show off," Kakashi calls back without looking at him. "If you want to do something impressive, listen to Guy and go join the others."

Sasuke scowls, but obeys and he turns around to head off when Kabuto flickers out of nowhere and gets in Sasuke's way. Shit, Kabuto! Where did he come from?! He raises his hand up without a word as it glows blue and brings it down to attack Sasuke, but Kakashi flickers over as well and tackles him. Kabuto's body substitutes into a log and he appears a few feet away from Kakashi. Kakashi quickly makes some handsigns and Sasuke recognizes them and joins him. They both open their mouth and a large breath of fire shoots out. Kabuto rolls out of the way and Kakashi jumps forward to strike him with a kunai. Kabuto raises his hands and grab the incoming kunai.

"Go, Sasuke!" Kakashi shouts as he struggles with Kabuto.

Sasuke nods and starts to run away, but a wave of sand shoots out of Gaara's gourd and grabs Sasuke by the legs. He falls to the ground as Gaara starts to drag him around the ground. Sasuke grits his teeth and channels some chakra into his leg to break free from the sand's grip. Sasuke gets up, activates his Sharingan, and starts to go after Gaara. He is moving at a blinding speed, a speed even greater than Lee's, and is running around Gaara. Gaara keeps spinning his head around to catch up to Sasuke.

As Sasuke charges into to attack Gaara, my time of watching them is over as an explosion from where the Hokage is sitting catches my attention. I focus my gaze up there and see the Kazekage leap into the air as he holds the Hokage in front of him with a kunai to the throat and Asuma is fighting the surrounding Oto Shinobi, with the help of some real Anbu Black Ops, in order to go help his father. Without all four members of the Oto Four being alive and present, I am hoping the no barrier thing will derails Orochimaru's plans and the Hokage and Asuma can stop him or at least get him to retreat.

"What do we do now?" Sakura asks. "The Hokage is being attacked, Sasuke is going head to head with Gaara, and Guy-sensei and Kakashi-sensei are about to battle those guys down there."

"We will keep fighting off the enemies up here until we are told otherwise," Neji replies. "We have no reason to get ourselves involved with what is going on below."

As if on cue, another round of Oto Shinobi came within my field of vision.

"It looks like your question has been answered, Sakura," I tell her. "There are more of them coming so be prepared!"

"Let me kick things off," Shino says.

He raises his hands and a wave of bugs shoot out of his jacket's sleeves and start to swarm around in the air. When the Oto Shinobi came into view, he brings his hands down and directs the army of bugs towards the enemy. The enemy split into two groups, one to deal with the bugs and one to deal with us. The group dealing with the bugs all weave their hands in unison and thrust their palms out to send out a sonic boom. The blasts hit the bugs and they scatter around, but then they seem like they are multiplying. The buys start to fly around the group of Oto Shinobi and begin to stick themselves to them. They tried to bat the bugs away, but they are to many of them and the insects slowly start to cover their bodies.

As Shino deals with the first group, the second group charges after us. Shikamaru sends his shadow out towards them, but they all leap into the air. I wave my hands around to create a chakra barrier while Neji starts to spin around to create a mini _Rotation_. The group collides with our defensive techniques and are thrown backwards. They quickly get back up and start to spread out to surround us, each having our own little corner of Shinobi again to fight. The two Oto Shinobi in my corner rush in towards me. One tries to stab me with a kunai, but I sidestep him and reach out to strike his shoulder. As I do so, his partner attempts to kick me with a roundhouse to the back, but I leap into the air and his leg makes contact with his partner instead.

In the air, I shoot out two chakra blades towards them, but they zip out of the way. I manipulate my blades to curve and go after them and get them right in the shoulder. I drop to the ground and start to channel more chakra into the blade so it can travel through the blade and into their bodies. Once in their bodies, the chakra spreads within a small area and messes up their chakra pathways in their shoulder and upper chest. They yelp out loud in pain and I break the connection with the chakra blades. As I do so, they spin around to punch me. Being within close range of them, I focused chakra to off of my tenketsu and send out a small blast of chakra to knock them away. I quickly create a Shadow Clone and she jumps in to strike one enemy in the chest while they are down while I strike the other.

I find striking the enemy in the chest to be the best way to end them because it instantly sends them into cardiac arrest, with usually prevents them from moving since they are in unbearable pain.

Having no more enemies in my corner for the moment, I turn around to help out Shikamaru, who is more focused on playing around with his enemies by making them do ridiculous poses while trapped in his shadows instead of actually ending them. As they are frozen in their tracks, I quickly give the three of them a blow to the heart, probably with more force than necessary, and they all drop dead.

Shikamaru huffs. "Why'd you do that for? I was enjoying the performance they were putting on for me."

I shrug. "Sorry. I thought they were terrible."

"Well, it looks like we got them all," Neji says as we all regroup. "I don't see anymore coming in our direction."

I check out the scene below us. "Well, I do see something terrible going on down there."

The five of us look over the railing to see Sasuke has his hand plunged into a sphere of sand that Gaara seems to have created to surround him like a cocoon. Small sparks of lightning seem to dance around Sasuke's arm and around parts of the sand cocoon. Inside the cocoon, I see Sasuke's _Chidori_ has struck Gaara in the arm and blood is starting to trickle down. Gaara feels the strange sensation, slowly reaches out to touch it, and rubs it between his fingers. When he realizes that it is, he widens his eyes and his body starts to quiver.

"B-BLOOD! IT'S MY BLOOD!" Gaara suddenly shouts in pure terror.

Everyone seems to have stop what they are doing and turn to look at where the yell is coming from. Sasuke flinches from the force behind the shout and starts to struggle to get his arm out of the sand sphere. To help him out, a demonic arm shoots out of the sand barrier and pushes Sasuke back. Sasuke leaps backward to get away from the foreign arm and crosses his arms to defend himself, but the arm retracts back into the cocoon. With my Byakugan, I can Gaara is starting to partially transform as half of his body is turning into the body of the One-Tail. The demon's yellow eyes looks through the small hole that Sasuke just made and glares at the Genin. He roars loudly and then Gaara starts to return to his normal self again. The sand cocoon starts to dissolve away until Gaara collapses to the ground, panting heavily.

"Gaara!" Temari calls out as she and Kankuro flicker down to the arena.

They start to head towards him and Sasuke. Before I know what I am doing, I find myself leaping into the arena and taking off after the two elder siblings to help out Sasuke. Neji calls out my hand, but I ignore him and he comes after me instead. I stop to stand beside of Sasuke and Neji catches up and gets in front of me.

"What are you guys doing?" Sasuke hisses. "I got this under control."

I roll my eyes. "Yeah. A large arm that is obviously not Gaara's just shot out of that sand cocoon and then whatever it belonged to ROARED at you. Yep. You totally have things under control here."

"Hn. Shut up," Sasuke replies.

"Where have you guys been?" the Sand Sibling's sensei questions as he jumps away from Guy and Genma to distance themselves. "Gaara has not been following orders and doing his part. He is the key part of this mission! Has he forgotten that?!"

"Baki! He's really low on chakra," Temari pleads. "He won't be able to fulfill his role in his current state."

"That's because he decided to ignore everything and do as he pleases! He attempted to transform for his own reason!" their sensei snaps back.

"Un…. you," Gaara growls. He weakly holds his head up and glares at me. "Why… why do you keep getting in my way?!"

His way? What the hell is he talking about? I just jumped to help Sasuke and Neji came down to protect me. We haven't exactly done anything yet.

"I don't know what you mean," I begin. "But, I'll always get in your way if you try to kill my friends and family! I mean, this is your third time trying and I'm not gonna allow you to do so!" I look at Guy and feel to add the next part in. "Yeah, I'm not close to all of these people, but they are still my comrades and I will put my life on the line for any of them!"

Gaara just blinks and Guy gives me a satisfied look.

Damn, I've been hanging around Naruto to much. I really felt this inspired to give a mini, heartfelt speech.

Totally not my thing.

Baki takes a deep breathe and gives the three siblings concerned look. "Take him away. He's going to need to rest and regain his strength if we are wanting him to transform.  
"You keep saying you want him to transform!" Guy says to Baki. "What do you mean by that?"

Baki doesn't answer Guy and continues to look at his subordinates. "Go, now! I will take care of things here!"

Temari nods as Kankuro wraps his arm around his little brother's shoulder and they leap off. Sasuke sprints off after them and Baki leaps in his way. However, Guy jumps in to kick Baki and he is forced to jump to the side to evade and Sasuke zooms past him, jumps over the wall, and leaves the arena. From behind, I see that Kabuto has decided to stop playing around with Kakashi and has flickers over to help out Orochimaru, who appears to be just mostly standing a small army of his minions. As he joins them, he seems to be saying something to the Oto Four Shinobi who was just helping out Orochimaru. They nod, turn around, and leap off the roof, starting after in Sasuke's direction.

Shit! Wait! Sasuke's direction?! That all just happened so fast! They aren't supposed to be going after Sasuke! I didn't plan for this! I had a small backup plan to deal with them if they got personally involved with fighting me or the other Genin. They can't go after Sasuke! They will capture him and take him to Orochimaru and all of my efforts will have gone to waste!

I spin around towards Kakashi. "I'm going after those guys!"

Kakashi nods. "I figured you would so there is no use in me saying no." He turns to the stands. "Sakura! Shikamaru! Get down here!"

My two teammates exchange glances and hop down from the stands, leaving poor Shino by himself, and hurry over to us.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura says, confused.

"I'm going to make this quick," Kakashi starts. "Hinata, Neji, and Sakura. You three are going to go after the three that are pursuing Sasuke. We cannot allow them to capture him. You three are going because I already know Neji is going to want to go where Hinata does and Sakura is at tip top shape. Shikamaru. You, Shino, Naruto, and Ino are going to go after Sasuke and help him out and I'm appointing you and Neji as leaders of your squad for this mission."

I raise an eyebrow. "This is going to be a mission?"

"Yes. An A-rank one to be exact," Kakashi replies. "This is an invasion so even you Genin are going to have to do some things that normally a Chunin or Jounin would do to help out."

We all nod in understanding.

"Alright, Neji and Sakura. Let's go!" I say to them.

Sending chakra into my feet, I sprint off and jump over the wall. If we want to catch up with the Oto Four, we are going to have to go at top speed!

"Hinata! Wait up!" Sakura calls out behind me, but I don't slow down. They're just going to have to speed up.

Neji catches up with me first and narrows his eyes. "Don't go running off like that. Kakashi appointed me as the temporary leader of this group."

"Well, Leader-sama, let's get a move on!" I snap. "They are right on Sasuke's tail!"

"Do you not think I can't see that?" Neji snaps back. "We need to come up with a quick plan before taking them off."

"Well, then you have the right two girls on your team," I say as Sakura finally catches up.

"What are you guys talking about?" she asks.

"Neji says we need to come up with a quick plan," I explain to her. "And, I have one. We need to ambush them or create diversion. Either way, our goal is to separate the three long enough so we can take them on three against one. We have a better chance of overwhelming them that way since we don't know of their skills." I think for a second. "Though one of the guys looks like a spider so he must be able to shoot like chakra webs or something. The other guy seems to have another head growing out the back of his neck so that could actually be two people… And, the girl? It looks like she has a flute in her weapons pouch so she must attack with sound."

I think that's the best way to put it without seeming like I know too much information about the guys. Which, I have actually forgotten what the girl actually does with her flute… That's one of downfalls of actually know this knowledge, but not being able to remember every detail because I don't have anything to refresh my memory and it has been many, many years since my last life where I had access to the anime/manga.

"Should we create the diversion our usual way?" Sakura asks.

I shake my head. "No, because Shikamaru isn't here to use his _Shadow Possession Jutsu_. I was thinking you send one of your clones while I send out both of my Shadow Clones. I can have one of the clones transform into Neji and they go on ahead of us while we mask our chakra and hide behind a genjutsu of yours and slowly sneak in."

"Oh, okay! I can have my clone explode into cherry blossoms and we can attach explosive tags to your clones!" Sakura adds in. "They can jump through the explosion while it is briefly disabling the enemy's vision and they can really explode and do some damage. Then, we can all target one of the enemies during the confusion."

I nod. "Exactly what I was thinking."

"Hn."

Sakura and I look at Neji, "Yes?" I say.

"I think you guys may have forgotten that I'm on your team, too," he says, frowning.

I roll my eyes. "Don't get so butthurt, Leader-sama. No one stopped you from contributing to the plan. Do you have anything else to add that can make our plan better?"

Neji just stares at me. "No. It is absolutely fine."

"That's what I thought, Leader-sama."

"Stop calling me that!"

Sakura and I prepare to create our clones and send them off when I see the pink headed girl suddenly breakaway from the other two and turns around and heads in our direction.

"Neji, I know you see it, but, Sakura, the girl has just turned around is heading our way," I inform her. "She is probably trying to hold us off while the other two goes on."

"Damn it!" Neji mumbles. "There goes our plan."

"If we all take her on the other two will get away!" I say.

This is all going horribly wrong.

"I'll take her on alone," Sakura tells us.

I snap my heads towards her. "What? No you're not."

"That actually may be the only choice we have if we want to catch up with the other two before they reach Sasuke," Neji says to me.

"B-but, we can't leave you behind, Sakura!" I exclaim.

These guys are strong and I don't think Sakura is on their level. I'm not saying Neji and I are, but… I don't know. I just don't want her to get incredibly hurt or killed.

Sakura narrows her eyes at me. "You and Shikamaru aren't the only ones on the team who have been training. I've been training hard also, remember?" She gives me small smile. "I'll be fine. I promise!"

She did tell me that she has been training during the past month. I hope she is strong enough to defend herself.

"I hope you are ready, then, because her she comes!" Neji informs her.

She nods and the girl comes into view, landing on a branch. We stop in our tracks and stare her down.

The Oto female narrows her eyes at me. "You're the bitch that killed Jirōbō."

I shrug. "You guys are invading my village so I don't see any wrong in killing him."

From behind me, I hear Neji whispering something into Sakura's ear and she nods.

Oh! Slick plan, Neji.

"Well, thanks to you, I'm now stuck trying to catch a brat for Orochimaru-sama instead of what we were originally supposed to do!" the girl snaps and pulls out her flute. "I'm just going to quickly finish you guys off so I can get back to the guys."

"Yeah, right!" Sakura shouts as she hurls two kunais towards the enemy.

The girl rolls her eyes and ducks to evade them. "You think an attack like that is really going to stop me?"

As the kunai soars over her, Neji and I quickly weave some handsigns and substitute our bodies with the flying weapons and land behind the girl.

"No. It was just to distract you," Sakura replies, smirking.

I wave at the girl and give Sakura a thumbs up before Neji and I swiftly leap away. From behind, I hear the girl yell in frustration and attempt to come after us, but Sakura quickly blocks her path. It is just those two now.

You better win, Sakura. Good luck.

"Those guys are slowing down their pace," Neji tells me.

"They must have already figured out we are back on their tail and deciding where to deal with us or not," I say.

"Well, let's hurry up so we can make the decision for them."

Neji and I start to travel as fast as we can towards the two Oto males. From my training and from him being on a team with Guy and Lee, Neji and I manage to catch up with the two enemies in no time. As they come into view, they turn their heads towards us and clench their jaws. The spider dude spins around shoots a barrage of web like substances towards us and we easily dodge them. That is when they both decide they have to fight us now and turn around to do so. The blue-haired guy comes after me and throws a punch while Spider-Man goes after Neji. I twirl around on my feet to dodge it his punch and reach out to strike his arm, but a third arm suddenly shoots out of his side and attempts to punch me in the gut. I backflip out of the way just in time and create two Shadow Clones to help me out.

Okay, that was a little creepy. I forgot his brother is able to manipulate his body parts throughout his brother's body.

My clones and I are about to take off after the guy when I stop moving and prepare to dodge the large web net that Spider-Man has decided to shoot out towards me. I jump into the air as my Shadow Clones prepare to take the brunt of the attack for me, but the web expands and wraps itself around my ankle. I yelp in surprise as the web slings in back to the branch and the next traps the three of us. The web instantly sticks to me and pins all of us towards the tree.

Gahh. This stuff is sticky! It is all over me! And, I can see that Neji is trapped in the same web net as me.

Shit.

Before I can get the chance to figure out how to set myself free, Spider-Man spits out a long string of more sticky web stuff towards me and starts to completely cover my body and I am too restrained to get out of the way.

What the hell is he doing?! At this rate, I'm going to be in a web coffin! No, calm down. Let's figure out a way out of here.

I wiggle my fingers down to pull out a kunai and attempt to cut through the web, but it just sticks right to it. I take a closer look at the chakra web strings and notice that there is chakra running all through them.

So, they are chakra induced webstrings, huh? If that is the case then I should be able to get out of here with my Gentle First.

I concentrate chakra into my hands and then decide to do a test run by attempting to cut through the web strings once more. I slice clean right through them and smirk.

There we go. But, it is going to take too long if I just simply start cutting through them. There is just too many!

I start to focus my chakra into all the tenketsu in my body.

" _Gentle Fist Art: One Body Blow_!"

I sent out decent sized blast of chakra out of my body and towards the surrounding web that is covering me. It instantly knocks the web away and off of me. I start to send out another chakra blast when I realize that Neji and Spider-Man are not in front of me. I quickly expand my vision to see they have somehow located themselves to a different spot to fight while I was concentrating on how to get out of my web coffin. The spider guy must've have lured Neji way or overwhelmed him enough to not be able to stop and give me a quick warning before going way.

Damn it. We are all separated now and I did not want this to happen.

Which means…

I look over at the blue-haired guy and he yawns.

"I'm waiting for you to get out of that net since you obviously can," he nonchalantly says to me. "I'm itching to kill you since are just so keen to ruining all of our plans. No wonder Orochimaru-sama is so fed up with you."

Great. I have to fight that freak.

Which means it is basically two against one.

Fuck.

Also, I seem to be on Orochimaru's official shit list.

Double fuck.

 **Author's Note: The invasion finally begins and OC Hinata has found herself facing off against Sakon and Ukon! These guys kicked Kiba's ass in the anime/manga and had to have Kankuro come in to help him out. Will OC be able to defeat these guys? Will Neji and Sakura be okay with fighting their enemies? Stayed tuned!**

 **P.S If OC's plan for ruining the invasion seems to perfect, just remember that she has been nonstop planning and training for this day for a month. She has tried to cover all of her basis and has tried to think her way through everything to the best she can. Just... this last part wasn't apart of her plan. Stupid Sound Four.**


	28. Chapter 28: Chunin Exams Arc: Part 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Chunin Exam Arc: Part Three**

 **Chapter twenty-eight**

Okay.

I need to think of a plan to defeat this guy as quickly as I possibly can before he decides to split into two individuals.

I glance over at the blue-haired guy as he stares boredly back at me, waiting for me to break out of the net of webs.

Well, I hope he has a lot of patient because I am not leaving this spot until I am done planning… or until he threatens to go after Sasuke to lure me out. Whichever comes first.

From what I remember, and what I just seen, this guy's brother is able to travel his body parts inside of his brother's body to help him fight. This shouldn't effect me at all since my Byakugan will be able to see inside of my enemy's body and I will be able to see the changes of movement inside and block or dodge his attacks. The brothers can also split their bodies apart, though I think the other brother gets tired easily because he isn't used to moving around as much as his other brother so I am going to make a mental note of that. Finally, they can transform into a monster because of their Cursed Marks.

I hope there isn't anything major that I am forgetting.

So, I should stick to a tactic that involves relying on my speed, _Substitution Jutsu_ , and Shadow Clones to confuse my enemies and to avoid getting attacked by him. Since we are going to be fighting in a forest, I have the home advantage so I can blend in with my surroundings better than he can and I can freely use my _Substitution Jutsu_. However, I cannot overuse it because I don't want to run low on chakra. I am already about to fight these guys at not my 100% because of all the chakra I used during my planning and fighting I've done today so I need to watch my supply during this fight.

A loud sigh escapes from the Oto teen's mouth, disrupting my thoughts.

"Are you going to spend all day in there?" he asks me. "Frankly. I'm getting quite impatient. Whatever you are planning isn't going to work on me so why even bother?"

I narrow my eyes. "Someone thinks they're tough shit."

The teen smirks. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Only if you can't back your attitude up," I tell him.

He runs a hand through his hair. "Oh, trust me. I can. Get out and I'll prove it to ya."

I grant his wish and start slashing through the web strings. He straightens his body up and starts to bounce on the tops of his feet until I get down to the last layer of web strings. As soon as I cut through it, he hurls a kunai at me and I leap into the air. In a flash, he jumps over there with me and throws a punch towards my face. I hold up an arm to block his attack and he attempts a roundhouse kick to my stomach. I lift up my knee and he hits it instead. Then, an arm emerges out of the guy's leg to strike me. I stop the impending attack by grabbing his brother's wrist and bending it backwards with my free hand until I hear a small popping sound. The arm quickly retracts back to the leg and I exert out a small chakra blast to knock my enemy away from me.

As he soars backwards and lands on a branch, I throw down two smoke bombs and create two Shadow Clones. As the smoke clouds around us, the three of us split up and decide to go hide nearby, masking our chakras so he has a harder time of sensing us. I get settled behind a tree just as the smoke clears away and I hear my enemy growl in annoyance. I watch him with my Byakugan as he keeps moving his head around to try and find us by sensing our chakra. After a few seconds, he turns his head in the direction of one of my Shadow Clones and starts to step forward to take off after her. That same clone jumps out of her hiding spot and charges after the enemy. He pauses in his tracks and goes on the offensive to strike by putting his hands up in front of his face. My clone gets closer to him and he swings his fist around to give my clone an uppercut to the chin, with two more arms appearing underneath his own. My clone performs a somersault over the blue-haired boy. As she lands behind him, a leg shoots out of the teen's back to kick my clone aside, but she suddenly turns into a log when the leg makes contact.

As she substitutes away, my second Shadow Clone breaks away from her hiding spot to join my other clone. Shadow Clone #2 shoots out chakra blades from both of her hands towards the direction of the enemy. He leaps into the air to dodge the attack, but the blades follows him into the air and wraps themselves around his ankles. My clone yanks him back down, but two feet grows out of his back and they push off the branch towards Shadow Clone #2. A hand sprouts out from the top of the guy's head and turns into a fist to punch my clone. Shadow Clone #1 springs over the other clone and goes to slam her palm into his stomach when another arm pops out of her targeted area and grabs the clone's arm. She exerts a small blast of chakra out of her tenketsu to knock the guy away from her. Shadow Clone #2 follows up by waving her hands to her left to sling him aside and she breaks her connection with the chakra blades as he crashes into a branch.

Both clones tagteam up and take off our the enemy. He rolls over to the side as one of the clones go to strike and the other one manages to graze his hair with a kick as he leaps forward to avoid it. The clones do not let up and continue after him. They both start to simultaneously strike and kick at him while he quickly avoids all the attacks in a blur. Even though he is speedy enough to evade the attacks, the clones are not letting up in the slightly to allow him to strike back or to escape. After a couple of minutes of this, one of the clones is finally able to land a strike on his shoulder and sends him flying backwards. As the clones rush towards him, he seems to time their approach perfectly and reaches out to stop them by grabbing their necks.

"You two are starting to get annoying!" the Oto teen growls. "And, you're only clones! I know the real one is out there hiding like a coward!"

I lift up a finger to get rid of my Shadow Clones and the guy drops his arms, scowling. Suddenly, a flash of red starts to travel across his face and body and turns into black spotted markings. With my Byakugan, I notice an increase in chakra and the flow is moving through his pathways even faster.

Crap. He's already going into his Level One Cursed Mark form.

"Seriously, Sakon? You're already resulting to the Cursed Mark?" the head chilling out on the guy's questions.

Sakon clenches his fist. "Yeah. So, what? This bitch is already overpowering me with just Shadow Clones.

Sakon's brother sighs. "I know that. I've been helping you out. I just don't think it is necessary to go this far yet."

Sakon snorts. "Easy for you to say when I've been doing most of the work, Ukon."

"Don't worry, brother," Ukon replies with a grin. "I'll come out to play whenever you need me to. Just don't get to carried away with the girl. You know what our real goal is to accomplish."

"We'll see," Sakon says, licking his lips. "Now, where did she go?"

Okay, I guess it is time for me to actually fight the brothers since I have an idea of their fighting style by watching them and my Shadow Clones go at it. Sakon typically attacks first while Ukon only comes in if Sakon is in trouble or if Sakon's attack calls for a third arm or leg. They seem to like to do a lot of combo techniques. They are also quick on their feet and pretty good with taijutsu, but I haven't seen them use any ninjutsu or genjutsu. I am hoping they just stick to taijutsu and I able to defeat Sakon before Ukon separates fully from his body.

I pull out two kunai and attach one explosive tag to one while attaching three to the other one. I peek from around the tree and hurl the first kunai towards Sakon. He notices it coming, crosses his arms in front of his face, and jumps out of the way to defend himself. As he waits for the tag on it to explode, I toss the second kunai while he is in mid-air and it sinks into his side. He widens his eyes just as I lift up a finger to set off the three tags. Just as I do so, Ukon's arm shoots out to pull out the kunai and throw it aside. A huge explosion occurs and I frown as I watch Sakon land perfectly on a branch, only minorly injured from the kunai.

I dash through the smoke anyways to launch my suprise attack as I watch Sakon keep his guard up and looking around for me. Activating my chakra scalpels, I run full speed out of the smoke, leap into the air, and manage to land on top of Sakon. I aim to slash his neck, but Ukon's arm reaches out to grab me and I end up slicing clean through his arm instead. A yell of pain rips out of Ukon's throat, but I ignore that, and the splatters of blood that flicker onto my face, and spin around to kick Sakon. He catches my leg and I extend my palm out at his face and shoot out a chakra blade. From the close proximity, the chakra blade hits him without fail and pierces through his forehead, traveling to his brain. Before it can do so, Sakon grabs my arm and forcefully pulls the blade out of his head.

Damn, he is too fucking fast and strong. That chakra blade would've have totally killed both him and his brother.

Sakon goes to punch me in the gut, but I shove it aside and quickly take a step back to get into my fighting stance.

" _Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!"_

I dive right in and swiftly start to strike his chakra points. Since I am striking him with my chakra scalpels activated, I am slashing through various parts of his body as I go at it. As I attack him I am pushing him forward and forward until his back is now against the tree. The force of my strikes starts to break the bark behind Sakon and we both burst through the tree and I keep on going. After my strike, he soars backwards and crashes into another tree. He is bleeding all over the place from his many open wounds and appears to be in bad shape.

Now, it is time to finish him off while he's down!

I sprint over to Sakon and raise my hand up to land the final blow: slashing the brothers' heads right off. As I go to do so, Ukon fully slips out of Sakon's body in a flash and grabs my wrist. He pulls out a kunai and aims for my chest. I use my free arm to shield my chest and he stabs it instead. I wince slightly in pain and proceed to headbutt Ukon. He instantly let's go of me and stumbles backwards as I throw a smoke bomb after him. It explodes into a cloud of smoke and I turn to end Sakon really quick but pause as I see he is already starting to transform.

Shit.

Instead, I drop a handful of explosive tags on the ground and decide to flee. As I shoot out of the smoke, I lift up my finger, once I am a decent amount away, and the tags go off behind me. I hide behind a tree to catch my breathe and recoup.

Sakon is transforming and Ukon has separated from his brother. The two things I did not want to happen happens. I am pretty sure Ukon is going to go and transform now so it is totally going to be two against one and they are a hell of a lot stronger than I am now. I mean, I could barely keep up with them in their Level One mode.

Okay, calm down. I can just create Shadow Clones and make it three against two. Ukon seems to be the weaker one between the two of them so I can have my Shadow Clones distract Sakon and get him away while I deal with Ukon. Then, the three of us can take down Sakon.

I sense movement going on from behind the tree and I watch as the smoke clears up and out reveals two creepy ass looking horned monsters. They seem to have gotten away from the explosion, but they still have some burn wounds on them. But, what I am surprised to see is that Sakon's multiple gashes are gone and Ukon has two arms now instead of one.

What the hell?! Don't tell me they can regenerate or heal themselves somehow?

"You know, you're truly something, I must admit, if you can push us to transform like this!" Sakon calls out. "But, the fun has only begun! You're going to wish that you had just stayed out of our way and let us capture Sasuke!"

Ukon gives his brother a sideways glance. "No, we are going to play around with here. Now is not the time, Sakon. We still have a mission to carry out."

Sakon grins. "Fine, fine. But, I'm the one that gets to kill her!"

Ukon shakes his head. "We'll both kill her."

The brothers split in their search to find me.

Good. They have split up. Let's try to keep it that way.

I create two Shadow Clones and they stalk after Sakon while I creep after Ukon. I silently slip through the trees, trying to keep myself at a decent distance away from him, as he slowly takes his time looking for me by peeking around every single tree he goes by. Then, he whirls around and slings a kunai in my direction. It whizzes by my ear and strikes an innocent squirrel behind me. Ukon watches carefully as the squirrel falls, dead, to the ground and he rolls his eyes.

"Cripes. Getting all on an edge over a damn squirrel," Ukon mumbles.

He turns his back to begin searching again and I take the opportunity to strike back. I pull out a kunai and flicker from branch to branch towards him. I leap out of the brushes in attempt to stab Ukon in the back. He spins around and matches my kunai with one of his own. We glare at each other for a second before hopping back and hurling a handful of shuriken at one another. The shurikens collide and they start to fall to the ground, but I pull my batch back with some wire and direct it towards Ukon. He raises up his metal looking arm to deflect the weapons, but I wiggle my fingers around and the shurikens zoom around Ukon's torso instead and restricts him.

Before he can try to break free, I shoot out my chakra blades and have them coil themselves around the line of wire and around the parts constricting Ukon. I allow the last bit of the blades move away from the wire and through both sides of Ukon's shoulders. I quickly start to pump some extra chakra into the blades and it starts to flow through Ukon's network, slowly spreading out and blocking his chakra pathways. Ukon scowls and bulges his muscles to rip through the wire, but struggles with breaking the chakra blades. I start to use all of my strength to keep him restrained as I watch the chakra continue to do it's job inside of Ukon. By now, the areas in, or near, his shoulders and upper chest are blocked and starting to shut down.

Just a few more seconds until the heart gets damaged. Almost there.

Suddenly, Ukon let's out a loud roar and tears one arm through the chakra blade. He reaches out to pull the chakra line to drag me closer to him, but I quickly break the connection. As the chakra blades fizzles away, I charge after Ukon and go to strike his chest. He sidesteps and goes to punch me, but I twirl out of the way. I push off the branch to strike him, but he leaps over me and turns around to place a hand on my back. Activating my chakra scalpels, I spin around to slice his arm off again, but I see he is gone. I look around for him, but he has disappeared! Then, that is when I notice something a little too close to me over to my side. I turn my head and gasp when I see Ukon's head staring back at me.

"Surprise!" Ukon shouts.

I swing my arm to smash in his face, but it moves backwards instead and rests itself on my back as if someone were pinning me down. I start to run towards the tree to ram Ukon out of my body, but they stop moving and I drop to my knees.

"What's going on?" I demand to know. "How did you get inside of me?"

Ukon grins evilly at me. "Pretty unique technique, huh? It really comes in handy when assassinating someone. When I placed my hand on you earlier, I broke my body down to a cellular to enter your body and then reconstructed myself to my original form once inside."

Fuck, this does ring a bell. I faintly recall now them being able to do such a thing. Damn it!

"Well, can you kindly get out of my body?" I ask, struggling around.

Ukon chuckles. "Ha! You're funny, kid."

I frown. "You're not going to be laughing after this!"

I quickly pull out a kunai with my free hand and stab my shoulder with it. I cringe from the pain, but I continue to dig it in deeper.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Ukon exclaims as he spats out some blood.

"If your cells are merging into my body, I am assuming whatever pain I feel you are going to feel!" I reply.

"So, suicide is your idea? You're insane!"

"I would rather kill myself in attempt to end your life instead of dying in your hands!"

I pull my kunai out of my shoulder and go to stab my chest.

"No!" Ukon shouts.

He quickly hops out of my body and skids to the ground right as I stop the kunai merely centimeters from my chest. Instead, I spin around and throw the kunai at him. It sinks into his leg and he clenches his teeth, seething at me.

"You bitch! You tricked me!"

I arch an eyebrow. "As if I would be stupid enough to give myself a fatal wound while fighting you. I knew you would leave my body if I went straight for my heart. I don't have a death wish."

Ukon snorts. "Funny. I thought otherwise when you stepped in to fight us!"

I ignore his taunt and lift up a finger to dissipate my Shadow Clones. Their memories flood back to me and I quickly watch their fight with Sakon. It was more of a game of cat and mouse as the clones basically evaded and ran around Sakon in attempt to tire him out. I recreate my Shadow Clones and the three of us surround Ukon. One Shadow Clone rushes in first to attack Ukon. He leaps into the air to dodge her, but my other clone quickly jumps up with him and smacks him back down. As he lands, my first clone kicks him over to me while my second clone lands behind him and lifts him up. Before Ukon can try to escape, I get into my favorite fighting stance and start going to town on him.

" _Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms_!"

Ukon yells out in pain as I strike him and he collapses to the ground once I am finish. My clones and I regroup and surround him again. One shadow clone bends down to restrain once more while the other pulls back his hair.

"W-what do you think you're doing?!" Ukon shouts, struggling to move. "Let me go!"

I activate my chakra scalpels and mimic the evil grin he gave me earlier. "Die."

I slice my hand clean through his neck and his head instantly rolls off. A shower of blood sprays all of me, but I try to focus on Ukon's head instead. Just to make sure he cannot regenerate his head, I stab my hand through his head and into his brain. I tear the brain into pieces and then I go over to his fallen body and rip out his heart. I toss the heart aside, did away with my clones, and sink to the ground, closing my eyes.

Okay, that was very gory and brutal. I have blood all over me, I tore up a guy's brain, and ripped out his heart. I am proud to say I am not about to freak out, yet, nor have I… Bleh shit. Here it comes!

As expected, I start to vomit all over the place and I rub my mouth.

Damn. I'm so attractive right now.

Okay, let's get my head back in the game. I can feel sick and vomit all I want later. Sakon is the only one left now so I need to focus on going after him. But, damn. I'm starting to run low on chakra and I'm exhausted. I've been going at it all day and have been continuously using chakra. I'm going to have to strategically fight Sakon and only attack when I see important openings. I may have tired him out by now and have attacked him a few times already, but he still has a shit ton more chakra than I do and he is stronger and faster than me. If he was stupid, I might not be this worried and can just outsmart him. But, he's not stupid so there goes that plan.

"Ukon! Ukon, damnit! Where are you?" I hear Sakon yell out from a distance.

I expand my vision to see Sakon coming towards my direction from my left.

Okay, time to go hide and then I will follow to ambush him!

I leap away from the gruesome scene and emerge myself within the thickest part of shrubbery on the tree. I mask my chakra, slow down my heart rate, and keep my breaths low and steady. After a couple of minutes, Sakon comes into view and his eyes fall upon his dead brother. He widens his eyes and just stares down at Ukon for a long minute. Then, his body starts to quiver as he clenches his fists and throws his head back.

"WHERE ARE YOU, YOU FUCKING BITCH!" he roars. "YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

He flickers away from his spot and starts crashing through the surrounding trees in a fit of rage. Branches and leaves are starting to hail down and he is leaving decent-sized holes in the tree trunks.

He's going to find and kill me in no time in this state if I don't get out of here!

I get up to get out of there, but Sakon suddenly changes courses and rushes over to my direction. I drop down as he slams through the shrubby and I land on a lower branch. I start to sprint off, but Sakon catches up to me and gets in my way. He raises up his arm to strike at me, but I block the punch with my own arm and bounce away from him. He hops over behind me and goes to kick me, but I backflip over him and continue to run away. He growls and chases after me. I conjure up my Shadow Clones to slow him down, but Sakon just rams through them, causing them to instantly poof away, and continues his pursuit on me. He takes out a handful of kunai and throws them at me. I dart over to my right to avoid them and he pushes forward and manages to land a kick on my back. I crash into a thick branch and quickly jump back up onto my feet, my head starting to hurt now from the fall.

Sakon yells out in rage and charges after me. I wave my hands around to create a small chakra barrier and it sends him backwards. He gets up again and charges after me once more and I swiftly shoot out a barrage of chakra blades. Sakon takes the attack head on, allowing my chakra blades to stab through his body. He rushes over towards me and I quickly break my connection with the blades, but that doesn't matter to him. He jumps into the air and tackles me off the branch. As we fall, I try to knock him off of me with a small chakra blast, but I realize that I am too low so only a tiny blast comes out, not doing anything meaningful. We both crash to the ground, hard, and I swear I hear a few of my ribs cracking as we do. The landing doesn't seem to faze Sakon as he continues his enraged pursuit for me and jumps up to kick me against a tree. My body slams against it and I roll over on the ground to catch my breathe.

Ignoring the pain, I jump to my feet after finding my breathe and put myself in a defensive position to protect myself from another attack. However, Sakon just stands in front of me, breathing loudly. The fury in his eyes are gone now and he seems to be calming himself down. After a few seconds of eyeing him down, he stands up straight and gives me a malicious grin.

"You know, I just thought of an even more brilliant way to make you pay for killing my brother," he tells me, eyes shining with excitement

Before I can blink, he flickers over behind me and grabs my left arm. He jerks it back and bends it in an unnatural way, snapping it in half. Pain surges through me and I yell out in pain. He goes to grab my other arm, but I bring my hand back and manage to backhand him in the face. I recoil my arm back and start to run away, but he hops over in front of me and punches me in the gut. I double over, blood spattering out of my mouth. Then, Sakon grips me by the throat and starts to bash my head into the tree behind me multiple times. As he does so, my vision is starting to waver and my head is starting to hurt and fill up with pressure at the same time. After awhile, he stops bashing my head in and I can feel streams of blood trickling down the back of my neck.

This… This is a bad situation I am in. I'm having a hard time even thinking right now.

Then, I find myself struggling to breathe as the hands around my neck begins to squeeze. Sakon lifts me up into the air and has completely cut me off from inhaling any oxygen. I feel my throat filling up with unreleased air as I flail my legs around to breakfree. I raise up my unbroken arm to conjure up whatever chakra I have left to form a blade and a tiny one shoots out of my palm. Sakon merely slashes it in two without batting an eyes and grasps my neck even harder. I drop my arm in defeat and I feel my body starting to relax and grow numb as I start to see dark spots in my vision.

Am I going to die? Is this really how I'm going to die?

I feel my eyelids start to close by themselves and then I'm suddenly dropped to the ground. Oxygen rushes into my lungs and I find myself being able to breathe again. I start coughing and gasping, trying to soak in as much oxygen as I can, when Sakon leans down to get eye level with me and cups my chin.

"Now, did you really think I was going to let you die so easily?" Sakon taunts, giving me a look of amusement. "You haven't even begun to face the consequences of your actions."

Face the consequences of my actions? If he isn't going to let me "die that easily" then he must have decided he wants to torture me for killing his brother by putting me on the verge of death.

"Answer me this," Sakon continues. "How would you feel if I killed any of your loved ones? The guy who was with your earlier… you guys look alike. Same eyes and similar looking appearance. A sibling or close relative, perhaps? What if I just killed him right in front of you?"

Well, I'm pretty sure Sakon and his brother have killed many people during their lifetimes so I do not feel bad for killing Ukon.

I choose not to answer and instead I spit in Sakon's face. Sakon narrows his eyes, let's go of my chin, and slaps my face. I glare at him, resisting the urge to flinch from the pain, as he wipes my saliva off of his face.

"You fucking bitch," Sakon mumbles.

He grabs me by my hair and starts to bash my head into the tree again until my vision starts to waver once more. After slamming my head in a few times, he kicks me in the stomach, and then goes back to choking me. His hands wrap around my neck even tighter this time around and I swear I feel like my eyes are going to bug out of my head and my lungs are going to burst from lack of air. My throat is starting to hurt like hell now and I can bet anybody that I will not be able to talk/will have a hard time doing so if I tried. Finally, Sakon drops me to the ground and I quickly start gasping for air.

You know, I've never been so thankful in my life for oxygen. Though, I would be even more thankful now if some miracle happened and just get me out of my situation. My body is in the worse condition it has ever been and I honestly feel like I'm going to die at any second. The pressure inside of my head keeps on increasing and the blood will not stop gushing out from the back of it. My left arm and ribs are broken, my vision keeps on going in and out, my throat is bruised and very damaged, and I feel like I'm going to vomit from all of this coughing and gasping for air.

I should probably be freaking out, but I'm too exhausted and in too much pain to even be doing that.

Sakon yanks back my hair so he doesn't have to bend down this time to talk to me; probably actually doesn't want me spitting on him again.

"You are not making things fun for me," he says to me. "Most of the time, my prey will already be begging and screaming for their lives." Awhh, I'm so sorry that I'm disappointing you while you beat the shit out of me. "You know, I'm feeling a little generous. If you make this worthwhile for me, by begging and screaming for your life, I won't go interupt my teammate's fight with your relative and kill him myself. I'll just quickly kill you instead."

Oh, wow. That's a wonderful deal. I'll have to think it over.

Yeah, right. If he even thinks about touching Neji he will regret it. I don't know how in the state I am in, but I will make his life a living hell.

"F...f...fuck y...you," I barely am able to whisper, all the while hurting like hell.

Sakon just shrugs at my response. "You're really not going to let me have any fun, are you? Damn, you sufck. Oh, well. Smart choice I guess because I wouldn't have gone through with my end of the deal anyways. I would've forced you to watch as I killed your relative and then go back to slowly beating you to death." Sakon taps his chin. "Though, I guess having you watch your relative get killed wouldn't have much of an effect on you since it is kind of hard to see out of one eye."

I scrunch up my face in confusion and he chuckles. "That's right! You heard me. Only out of one eye as in: I will be ripping out your eyes right out of your sockets before and after you watch your relative get killed!"

I tense up.

Fuck that shit! He is not stealing my Byakugan nor killing Neji!

I attempt to push off my feet to tackle him, but he easily knocks me back with a smack of his arm and I fall back to the ground. He grabs me by the neck again to pin me against the tree, but doesn't choke me this time around.

"Yes, your eyes are just so precious and interesting," Sakon says, excitedly. He starts to trace one finger around both of my eyes "They would make a great gift for Orochimaru-sama or even for me. Yes, maybe just for me. I like that idea better. You took my brother from me and now I'll be taking your eyes from you! Sounds like a fair trade, don't you think?!"

This guy has gone psycho!

I aim to spit in his own eyes and raise my right fist to punch him, but he moves his head to the side. He let's go of my neck and turns away to wipe his face off. In a flash, he spins back around and sticks his hand straight into my left eye socket and rips my eye right out.

"Aiyahhhhh!" I scream out loud in pure pain and terror.

No no no! I can't see! I can't see out of my left eye!

I reach up and covered my left eye socket.

Oh my god… I'm bleeding. I'm bleeding so fast! My eye is gone! It is missing! There is nothing there!

I watch with my right eye as Sakon starts to roll my eye around in his dirty hands and I immediately double over and vomit on the spot.

No… no. This can not be happening!

Sakon grins as he is getting extreme pleasure from watching me flail around in pain.

"This is what you get for killing Ukon, you fucking bitch!" he shouts. "Fuck your fucking clan! Who cares you're the spoiled bratty ass heiress of it! This eye is now mine and the other will be never soon! Ha ha ha ha ha!" He starts laughing maniacally.

Fear overwhelms me and I feel tears start to stream down my face as my body starts to quiver and I bring my arm to my head, shaking it. I close my eye.

I'm going to die. I'm going to fucking die and this motherfucker is going to have my Byakugan! I'm such a fucking failure! All I wanted to do is just go off and protect Sasuke and everybody else and this fucking piece of shit is going to kill me and take my damn eyes!

Suddenly, I hear Sakon screaming in just as much ure pain and terror as I was just seconds ago. I snap my eye open and see he has dropped my eye and is clasping onto the top of his head. He continues to yell as he takes a few steps back, his eyes widen, and then starts to claw at his head. From the intensity of the pain, Sakon instantly transforms out of his Cursed Mark from and back to looking like his old self.

What…? What the fuck is going on?!

A figure jumps down in front of me and I recognize from the long hair that it is my father. A wave of relief rushes over me.

Oh my god. My father is here… he's going to save me… I'm not going to have to die now! Oh my god oh my god thank you…

"How dare you do this to my daughter and try to steal the Byakugan!" my father shouts, sounding enraged. I've never heard him so angry before. "You thought you could get away with it?! I will show you what happens when you mess with the Hyūga clan! We do not show any mercy to the likes of you!"

My father takes a step forward towards Sakon and the teen screams even louder. My father just stands there and watches Sakon for a few seconds as the boy is now on his knees and pulling his hair out. Then, my father flickers over to him and slams his palm into Sakon's chest, instantly killing the boy. His eyes widen from the impact and his lifeless body falls to the ground.

That… that all happened so fast. Sakon just… died. So quickly!

My father goes over to pick up my eyes and I hear him sigh. He turns around, walks over to me, and bends down.

"Oh, Hinata," he whispers, giving me a sad look. He runs a hand through my matted hair and carsses my face. "Look at you. I'm so sorry I didn't make it here earlier. You put up a good fight, though, it seems. Now… now it is time for you to rest."

Before I can react, he easily jams two fingers into a pressure point on my neck and I instantly blackout.

* * *

" _Hinata?! What's wrong with Hinata?!"_

" _Neji, too?!"_

 _Whoosh. Crack. Boom!_

" _NOW!"_

 _Beep. Beep._

" _Go! Go! She's losing a lot of blood!"_

 _Beep. Beep._

" _Her eye… not sure… roughly out"_

 _Beep. Beep._

" _...shattered… weeks… knows?"_

" _Life threatening…_

 _Beep. Beep._

" _H..in..ata…"_

 _Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Birrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr._

…..

…..

…..

…..

I feel… light. Everything is light. I see light. I see her, but barely. She is blurry. She is waving at me. She doesn't look happy. I can't really see her face, but I can sense it. Did I do something wrong? Where am I at? Who is she? I think I know her.

Mother? Is that you?

The woman fades away and everything goes back dark.

No! I don't want to be in the dark anymore!

I try to snap my eye open, but all I see is complete darkness.

No, no, no! Am I blind? I can't be blind! I was just seeing light moments ago! Sakon only took one of my eyes!

I rub my right hand over where my eyes should be and feel something soft.

Soft? I take care of my skin, but it isn't this soft.

It feels like… feels like a piece cloth.

I mess around with the soft area and then carefully attempt to remove whatever it is if I am able to.

"No!" I hear my father's voice shout and I immediately drop my hand.

What is my father doing here?

I hear footsteps rush over to me and I feel him grab my hand. "I know you must be scared to suddenly waking up to the dark, but it is only a bandage. It is to help heal your left eye after the surgery."

Surgery? Surgery as in putting my eye back into my eye socket? It better be my eye and no one else's. But, I've been out this whole time? Strange. I could've swore I heard voices. And, that light and the woman… I've must've been dreaming. I do remember my father knocking me out.

"Now, I know you must be very confused and so I will try to answer any question that you would've potentially asked if you were able to talk," my father explains to me.

I drop my jaw in surprise.

Wait, what?! I can't talk?!

My father must've seen my reaction and clears his throat. "Let me rephrase that: Yes, you are able to talk. However, not at the moment. Your throat is severely damaged and it is being healed this very second with chakra and medicine."

I sigh in relief and then wince slightly in pain from the huge breath of air that rushed through my throat.

"Yes. Don't be doing that either," my father says to me and I visualize him giving me a small, amused smile. "Let's see… where should I begin? I was off defending the village when Hizashi comes over to inform me that you and Neji had gone after the Uchiha boy and two Kumo Shinobi had decided to trial you two. I am pretty sure they were using the invasion as an opportunity to kidnap you, or maybe even the two of you, and steal the Byakugan. The two of us hurry after the enemy and confronted them. After telling us their motive, they attempted to attack us and we easily stopped them and turned them for questioning after everything settled down."

Okay, my father really needs to stay away from Kumo Shinobi. He's going to actually end up killing one and then end up getting him or his brother killed to prevent a war.

"At that moment, Hizashi told me he was getting a bad feeling so he and I decided to see how the two of you were faring before we returned back to the village. Hizashi's feeling was correct as we saw the critical conditions and dire circumstances the two of you were in. We took off after our respective child and immediately took you both to the hospital shortly after. The two of you were in a very terrible state and we were informed that nobody knew if the two of you were going to make it or not. Neji was able to defeat his opponent, but collapsed from chakra exhaustion and had a deep wound where he was struck in a vital spot. You were, also, dangerously low on chakra and was starting to bleed out from your head. Blood clots were starting to from and it was cutting any circulation to your brain. You and Neji are okay, now. You both have been properly treated and are just bedridden for now and you have been out for three days."

Three days?! Damn.

 _Life threatening._

I remember hearing those words when I was out. Were Neji and I really that close to death? I'm glad the two of us were able to push through it. I need to see him soon.

"The invasion is over now and while a fourth of our men were killed, it is still a significantly lower number than what it would've been without your insight."

Insight? Really? I think the word superawesomeplanningandobservationalskills would be a better fitting. "However, all that will be discussed later. The village took a good amount of damage, though," my father continues. Discussed later? With whom? What does he mean by that? "Orochimaru, all of Otogakure, and Sunagakure retreated after our men started to overwhelm the enemy and Gaara's transformation was dismantled by your friend, Naruto. The Uchiha and anyone else involved with that mess survive with minor to moderate injuries, including your teammates."

Yay, Naruto! I figured he would save the village from Gaara like before, but I'm just happy to hear that he did! Maybe everyone will start being nicer to him now. And, Sakura, Shikamaru, and everyone else are okay? Good. I wonder if Sakura defeated that Oto girl or if somebody came in to help her out like mine and Neji's fathers did.

"However, back to Orochimaru. He retreated with everyone else, like I mentioned, but not before he badly injured Hokage-sama," my father goes on. "As of now, nobody knows for sure if he will survive or not. He appears to be in a deep coma, but that's all the information I know as of now. I know that we are going to have to a temporarily Hokage until he wakes up. Though, I heard they are trying to get Jiraiya-sama and Tsunade-hime, if they manage to find her, to take up the role. We shall see how that goes."

Ha. Good luck with trying to convince Jiraiya and Tsunade to become Hokage. But...how the hell did the Hokage not die? I mean, I didn't want him to die, but I was kind of expecting he still would no matter how much backup he had. Does that mean Orochimaru never got his arms sealed? That would cause a lot of problems if he hasn't. Plus, what about Asuma and Kabuto? What happened to them? I'm assuming those two faced off while the Hokage and Orochimaru faced off, both duos backed up by their own mini group of subordinates. Maybe having Asuma and the other Anbu as backup really saved the Hokage's life.

I move my fingers around to spell out my sensei's name in sign language.

"He is doing just fine. He has some minor injuries. That is all."

I move my fingers some more.

 _K-A-B-U-T-O?_

"Kabuto?"

Shit. Does nobody not know yet that Kabuto is working for Orochimaru? I thought they would since the invasion is over. Surely they've started some sort of investigation already!

I point at the hospital sheets, hoping they are white, and then I point at my hair, running my hand back to resemble a low ponytail.

Okay, I know the Four-Eyes has ash-grey hair, but it can be mistaken for white. Like, a dull white.

"I know who you are talking about," my father tells me. "I was just repeating the name to make sure I read your signs correctly. You're kind of sloppy when it comes to signing."

I frown.

Well, how about I show you my middle finger and then you guess what sign that means, father?

Jerk. Insulting me while I'm pitiful and weak.

"Anyways, I do not know what has become of him," my father says. "Though, it is known now that he is not only a Genin. He is working for Orochimaru and probably has been for a while now."

I nod in understanding even though I already know this information.

My father makes a movement that sounds like he is walking away from me and pauses. "That is all I have to say for now. I've been up here with you these past three days so I am going to go back to the compound to rest since you are conscious again. I suggest you get some rest as well. I will be back later with Hanabi."

I nod and close my eyes to rest as he leaves, and recap on what my father just told me. Then, I realize he didn't answer one question that I really wanted the answer to. What the hell happened to Sakon right before my father showed up? He was suddenly yelling and grabbing his head in pain. I know that I didn't do that to him. Was it my father? But, what kind of jutsu can cause a person's head to suddenly hurt without being near them? Was it Sakon's fault? Did he spend too much time in his Level Two Cursed Mark form and starting to feel the effects of it? Also, what did he mean about "we will discuss it later"? I guess I will just ask him about it when he comes back.

However, things turned out pretty good at the end. While people still died, which was sadly going to happen during an unexpected invasion, my father mentioned it was a low number so my plan must've helped out a lot of people. The Hokage came out alive, for the moment, and nobody that I really care about died. Even though Neji and I got our ass beat, we managed to pull through, as did Sakura, and prevented the Sound Four for going after Sasuke. Naruto ended up stopping Gaara like he should and Sasuke is still safe and sound from Orochimaru's clutches, for now, and is Cursed Mark free.

The only bad thing I can think of his that Orochimaru's arms didn't end up getting sealed and that can possibly be a bad things for Sasuke as he might continue his pursuit on him once he has recouped and recovered. I hope he doesn't try anything soon while Konoha is busy repairing the village and sensing their elite Shinobi on missions to stay on guard and watch out for other potential villages or nations from attacking while we are down.

I guess another bad thing is that I totally got my ass beat by Sakon. That… that was brutal and terrible. I hope I never get myself in a situation like that again. I seriously thought I was going to die and all because I wasn't strong enough to take him _and_ his brother, Ukon, on. I mean, I trained so hard this past month and I did improve, but that fight made me realize that I need to train even harder. Yes, I may be Chunin material and I am better than your average Genin, but that isn't good enough for me. I need to get better. I need to learn more than just my clan's techniques. I need to learn some more ninjutsu, especially long-range ones, build up the muscles in my arm, and start sparring with my teammates and friends so I can get more experience in hand-on-hand combat. I cannot always rely on my tactic skills and speed to defeat my opponent.

I need to become a more well-rounded Shinobi.

What I would really like to work on is developing on my elemental chakra. I already know what my chakra natures are so all I need to do is start mastering them It can really come in handy if I mix it in with the Gentle First, especially Lightning Release chakra. For example, I can infuse lightning into my Gentle Fist and not only shock the shit out of my enemy but still block their chakra pathways. Hell, it would be cool if I was able to, then, control the lightning inside of their body and channel it throughout their whole system to paralyze them. That would be useful if I was able to do that with a long-range attack or something.

Actually I don't know if that makes any sense. I'm just throwing out ideas.

Another thing I got out of fighting Sakon is that I am able to at least stand my ground until my last breathe, or until he jerked my eyeball out of my socket. I am surprised that I didn't back down one bit. No matter how much pain I was in or how frightened I was, I tried to fight until I couldn't anymore and then I just started to spit in his face.

I mean, I am traumatized as hell from my fight with Sakon, but I am Shinobi so I will need to just try to get over it. Plus, I'm good at trying to see the light out of a bad situation or making a joke out of it to repress the negative feelings. So, I guess that is why I am not feeling any sort of negative feeling right now as I am reflecting back is because my mind has went ahead and repressed everything as usual.

On the other hand, I learned from killing Ukon that I can pretty much handle being gored all over and only vomit once!

Damn… that's a terrible bright side to things .

Just then, the door opens, disrupting my thoughts. On instinct, I jerk up, alarmed, before wincing in pain.

"Easy. Settle down," I hear a voice say. It is Shikamaru. "It is just us."

I relax my body as I sense five chakra presences, obviously to the five people that I have been around the most lately, and give my friends a wave.

"How is Hinata suppose to know who "us" is?" Naruto asks. "She has a blindfold on!"

"You idiot. Only one of her eyes is being treated. The other one is fine and she is able to still use her Byakugan with it," Shikamaru replies.

Umm, Shikamaru should be calling me an idiot instead because I have not thought about seeing through my blindfold with my right eye. That would've made conversing with my father earlier a little bit easier.

I nod as if to agree with Shikamaru and quickly activate my Byakugan in my right eye before anyone questions my reactions and body language.

Sakura walks over to my bed and sets down a notepad and a pen. "Here. We pick this up on the way here so you will be able to communicate with others until your throat gets better."

Oh thank goodness! That is going to make my life a hell of a lot easier.

I pick up the pen and pad and start scribbling on it.

 _Thanks! You guys are the best!_

Ino flips her hair. "Yeah, we know! We also bought you some flowers! Well, it was all Shikamaru's idea. I suggested that he get you a colorful arrangement of daisies, since that is typically what you give to someone who is in the hospital." She crosses her eyes. "But, he had other ideas."

Shikamaru rolls his eyes. "Shut it, Ino." He pulls out his hands from behind his back and reveals a small vase full of lavenders. "I remember you telling me once that these are your favorite kind of flowers. So… here you go."

He walks over and sets the vase on an end table beside of my bed. I look over to admire them and then give Shikamaru a thankful smile.

 _Awh. You do have a sweet side._

Shikamaru huffs. "Don't start. Can you just thank me like any other normal person would?"

 _Fine. Thank you!_

Shikamaru nods his head in approval as Ino arches an eyebrow in concern. "So, this is probably a stupid question but is standard to ask this, how are you feeling?"

Naruto snorts. "Yeah, that was a stupid question. Just look at her. How do you think she's feeling, Ino?"

Ino narrows her eyes at Naruto and smacks the back of his head. "I was asking a question to Hinata! I wasn't asking you "Will you please act like a smartass, Naruto?"!"

I try to giggle at their antics, but it the action starts to hurt my throat so I cough instead.

Damn. I sound like Asuma when he coughs after he smokes.

 _Be nice, Naruto! And, I'll live. That is all that matters. How did your roles in the invasion go?_

Naruto slips out of the headlock that Ino now has him in and begins to launch into the story on how he defeated Gaara with Ino and Shikamaru pitching in here and there. It went pretty much like before except Ino stayed back to fight Temari after Sasuke and Shikamaru was able to take on the Oto Shinobi that were tracking him by himself because of his ambushing skills. Next, Sakura went into detail about her fight with Tayuya and it sounds like Sakura was able to defeat her pretty quick. None of the girl's genjutsu techniques worked on Sakura so the only problem my teammate really had was staying away from Tayuya's Summonings. She was able to defeat Tayuya before she transformed into her Level Two Cursed Mark form with her the technique she used on Kin and Ino and the new technique she learned from her training with Kurenai.

The technique she has used on Kin and Ino is called _Mist Servant Jutsu_ and allows Sakura to create eerie illusions of herself and making it seem like she has many clones coming out of random places to attack her enemy. When the clones are "attacked" they multiply and this typically wears down the enemy and causes them to have a mental breakdown from everything that is going on. After Tayuya was wore out and briefly distracted, Sakura uses her newest genjutsu and it is called _Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death._ When starting out this illusion, Sakura disappears into a haze to approach Tayuya without being noticed. When she gets close enough, she is able to prevent Tayuya from moving as she seeing a tree wrap itself around her body. Then, Sakura "emerges" out of the trunk of the tree and she proceeds to stab Tayuya in the neck with her kunai. Tayuya had fallen to the ground and Sakura says she felt a rush of adrenaline go through her and she finishes slicing the girl's neck before she freaked out or hesitated.

"After that, I did freak out for just killing her but Kurenai-sensei comforted me later once I was with her so I feel a little better about it now," Sakura finishes. "I just feel strange for killing another human being, but I don't feel bad for killing her."

After Sakura, Shikamaru informs me that no one has seen Asuma these last two days. He isn't registered in the hospital or anything and none of the other elite Shinobi will tell him where he is at. I would think he's chilling out wherever the Third Hokage is hiding out at the moment, but I'm not going to say anything because I don't want to trigger Naruto into searching for "The Old Man".

Other than those things, nothing else is going on. No one mentions how my fight went or anything about Orochimaru. Instead, I just learnt that the five of them have been helping out with the cleaning of the village and repairing it.

After visiting me for about half an hour, a nurse walks into the room, widens her eyes, and crosses her arms. "What are you all doing here? This patient has a limit of two visitors, max! I'm afraid I'm going to ask for at least three of you to leave."

Sakura snaps her head towards Shikamaru. "Hey! You said that we wouldn't get caught!"

Shikamaru shakes his head. "No, I said we wouldn't get caught going to Hinata's room if we signed in individually saying we were visiting other patients."

"Run!" Naruto hollars and dramatically rushes out of the room.

Damn, Naruto is so used to getting caught by pulling his pranks that it seems to be a natural reaction for him now to run away when caught in situations he isn't suppose to be in.

"What the- Naruto!" Ino shouts, chasing after him.

Sakura turns around and waves at me. "Uh, it was good seeing you! I promise to come back tomorrow!" I give her a wave back and she leaves the room.

Only Shikamaru and Sasuke remains.

The nurses sighs as she eyes the two boys and mumbles sudden under her breath about the "youth of today".

"I was just coming to see if you were awake," the nurse tells me. "I'll be back later to check you out and see how everything is progressing." She throws a dirty glance at my boys once more and leaves.

I pick up my pen and write: _Well, she's lovely._

Sasuke snorts in agreement and then shifts his eyes over to Shikamaru. "Do you mind waiting in the hall for a few minutes? I need to speak with Hinata, alone."

Shikamaru shugs. "Sure. But, I'm probably just going to go ahead and head out. I'm supposed to be running a couple of errands for my mom and she'll kill me if I don't make it home by dinner."

 _Come back tomorrow with Sakura!_

Shikamaru gives me a half smile. "I was planning on it. Someone needs to water those flowers." He flicks up his hand. "See ya."

He walks out of the room and shuts the door behind him to give us some privacy.

As soon as Shikamaru leaves, Sasuke strides across the room and sits on my bed. He presses his fingers together and sighs.

 _What's up?_

"Nothing important," Sasuke replies. "Just don't ever land yourself in the hosptial for me ever again." I lift up my pen to write, but Sasuke holds up a hand. "No. Don't protest. I mean it. I know you helped stopped those guys from coming after me, but I hate seeing you like this."

Well, at least he isn't blaming himself. But, I wanted to stop the guys for him. I needed to.

 _I'm alive. That's all that matters. But, don't worry. I don't plan on getting myself in another situation like that. I'm just going to have to train even harder to get stronger!_

Sasuke blinks. "Well, that was easier than I thought. I figured you would argue back or say something with the words "next time" somewhere in the sentence."

 _Well, I really can't_ _say_ _anything at the moment._

Sasuke smirks. "Smartass. You know what I mean. Anyways, I've already thanked everybody who helped out so I'm thanking you now. I really appreciate you from wanting to protect me from that snake bastard, but I'm serious when I say that don't get yourself in a situation like that. I mean, Ino is my teammate and I care for her. The same for Kakashi. But, you and Naruto are the two I really don't want to see anything bad happen to that can make me lose ya'll." Sasuke pauses and then narrows his eyes. "If you tell the dobe I said that about him I'll put you back in the hospital when you get out."

I smile and wave my hand, hinting that I won't.

 _You'll never lose us. Naruto and I are too stubborn to go anywhere._

Sasuke nods his head. "Good."

I'm so happy to hear that Sasuke has people that he really cares about. Me, Naruto, Ino, Kakashi. Maybe he won't end up taking the evil path to Orochimaru after all.

 _But, if you don't want me protecting you all the time then you better not slack off. Like I wrote, I'm planning on training even harder when I get out of here._

Sasuke snorts. "Hn. Whatever. You don't even know how much I've improved over this past month. Well, nobody really got to since my match got cancelled."

 _You don't know how much I've improved either since you didn't come early enough to watch my match. Rude._

"Blame Kakashi. He's the one that wanted me to get a new outfit for the Finals. He just had to pick out the one that came with a bunch of bands. Those things took awhile to slip on."

I blink.

 _Are you serious?_

Sasuke arches an eyebrow. "Yeah, why?"

I sweatdrop.

 _I just can't believe a fashion disaster is the reason you were almost disqualified, twice._

"Like I just said, blame Kakashi."

 _If you had just worn your normal outfit, you do realize that would've actually gotten to fight?_

Sasuke squints at me. "You're never going to let me live this down, are you?"

I shake my head.

 _No, but I'll keep it our little inside joke._

"But, I don't find the joke funny."

I grin.

 _I do!_

Sasuke groans. "Of course you are. Whatever. Anyways, that offer to spar together sometime is still up for grabs whenever."

 _Oh, yeah! We need to set a time and date when I get out of the hospital and everything has calmed down._

"Sounds good." Sasuke is silent for a second and then speaks. "Do you mind if I ask how did your fight went? The others didn't want to ask, but I want to know how you did. I hope you at least put up a good fight."

I fake a frown.

 _Too soon._

Sasuke slightly widens his eyes. "Oh, um. Really?"

 _Nah, I'm kidding._

Sasuke sighs. "Why do you always do stuff like that?"

 _Don't complain. I've been unconscious for three days! Shikamaru isn't around so I need to be sarcastic to somebody. But, my fight went pretty okay until I started to get beaten up on like a training dummy. My opponents was actually two people who were able to combine their bodies into one being, but were also able to separate and transform. Anyways, I was able to kill one of them and land some hits on the other._

Sasuke smirks. "Sounds like you handled yourself pretty well in a two against one type of fight like that."

 _You better be impress because that was the most difficult fight I've ever been in. And, it probably only gets worse from here if Orochimaru decides to come back for you._

Sasuke drops his smirk and clenches a fist. "I'll be ready for him next time."

 _I promise to be more careful for you, but I will be waiting for him right with you. I will not allow him to take you, Sasuke._

A smile tugs at Sasuke's mouth, but he remains serious. "You won't have to worry about that. I won't allow him to."

We just stare at each other in silence for a moment when a flicker in my vision catches my attention. I expand my vision a little to see Hizashi and my father walking down the hallway towards my room.

Why are they both coming to my room? I thought my father was going home to rest.

I pick up my pen. _My father and uncle are on their way to see me._

Sasuke nods and stands up. "Well, I guess I will head off then so you can spend some time with them. I'll try to make time to see you tomorrow, but they have me helping out with repairing some buildings on the outskirts of the village so that's quite a ways from here."

 _I understand. Just come by whenever you have time!_

We weave at each other and Sasuke pulls a "cool Sasuke move" and leaves by jumping out of the window just as my uncle and father walk in.

I can feel the atmosphere in the room tense up as my father closes the door behind him. The two of they look at me with matching stone-faced expressions. If I didn't know the two of them well enough, I wouldn't be able to tell them apart they look so much alike right now.

Finally, my father speaks. "Hinata. I know I said I was heading back to the compound, but my brother and I need to speak with you first about something now that you are awake."

I tilt my head to the side.

 _About what?_

"We need to talk about your future with the Hyūga clan."

Shit.

This doesn't sound good.

 **Author's Note: Another chapter is out! This officially concludes the end of the Chunin Exam Arc. Whew! Finally. Now, it is on to bigger and better things! The next arc is going to be a mini one and then the one after that is going to be a major one that revolves around Hidan! Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I've been waiting awhile to write this because I've thought of the Hinata vs enraged Sakon scene for a while now and have been eager to write it out! Nerd alert: I even listened to Orochimaru's theme song over and over again while I wrote out the scene to get the whole intense feelings coming in. Now, time to recap! How does Hinata plan to get stronger? Will her eyesight be the same since her eye was ripped out? Will the Third Hokage live? What do people think of Hinata's actions that saved many lives, as her father mentioned? What exactly happened to Sakon before Hiashi came to the rescue? Will Orochimaru come back for revenge?**

 **Lol sorry for all the dramatic questions. I just feel like I just wrote a season finale. Anyways, like always, reviews are very much appreciated!**

 **Side note: Somebody asked a couple of chapters back if I can make a list OC Hinata's techniques so here they are really quick:**

 **Shadow Clone Jutsu**

 **Substitution Jutsu**

 **Transformation Jutsu**

 **Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms**

 **Protective Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms**

 **Gentle Fist: One Blow Body**

 **Byakugan (duh)**

 **And then, she can also use chakra scalpels and is able to manipulate her chakra blades to a great length and in any direction.**


	29. Chapter 29: The Family Affairs Arc

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **The Family Affairs Arc**

 **Chapter twenty-nine**

So, these two wants to confront me about my future while I'm half-blind and beaten up in a hospital bed?

Such perfect timing.

Not.

Why the hell do they even want to talk about something like that now with me?

My uncle looks over at my father. "I wouldn't say it like that, Hiashi. It sounds like you're about to tell her something bad."

My ears perk up. So, there isn't going to be anything negative spoken?

My father doesn't say anything and continues to stare at me with the same serious expression.

I lift up my pen and scribble in my notepad.

 _He always like this to make things more intense and dramatic than it is before telling me anything significant. It helps keep up his strict and stern demeanor of his._

My father squints his eyes at me as my uncle cracks a small smirk.

"I already know that about him," my uncle says. "That's why I said what I did."

 _Wow. Has he always been that theatrical?_

My uncle opens his mouth to say something, but my father glares at him. "Not another word."

My uncle clamps his mouth shut, but keeps the smirk on his face.

It is strange to see them acting like normal brother instead of estranged ones. It is also strange to have my uncle so open to chat with me like we've had a normal niece-to-uncle relationship our whole lives. What's going on? What's with the sudden change in attitudes towards one another?

My father clears his throat. "To get back to the topic at hand, we want to discuss with you about your role as the heiress of the Hyūga clan."

 _Why do you want to discuss about that now? I thought you told me you was going home to rest._

My father nods. "I was until I ran into Hizashi as I was stepping in to check on Neji. We talked and decided to speak to you since you were finally conscious."

So, it sounds like they've been talking about this while I was out.

My uncle steps forward and I notice that he has dropped his smirk and a more neutral look rests on his face. "First, I want to know have you ever thought about the things you would like to do for the clan once you become the Head?" I nod, not knowing if this is a rhetorical question or not. "May I ask what are some of those things?"

I hesitate.

Why do they want to want about my plans for the Hyūga clan? Are they testing me? Are they going to report back everything I say to the Elder? I know he isn't in charge of the clan, but my father sure acts like he does at times. Should I tell them? I find this all very fishy.

 _Before I answer your question, I want to know why are you asking me this? What is the purpose of talking about my future, anyways? I'm only twelve years old. I don't start my training until I'm a few years older._

"You're father and I have been discussing about some things these past few days," my uncle replies. "We would just like to hear your thoughts before continuing in with everything."

I narrow my eyes in suspicion.

 _I would prefer to hear what you two have been talking about before I just give you my thoughts._

My uncle shoots a glance at my father and he sighs. "I told you that she would not answer so freely. She is very cautious about every choice she makes, which is a good thing. But, not for me as a parent in situations like these."

My uncle arches an eyebrow. "No offense, but you are her father. Can you not just make her answer?"

My father shakes his head. "I raise my daughters a bit differently than most parents raise their children. While I have raised them to respect and obey me, I have also raised them to become independent thinkers and strong-willed. Hinata and Hanabi have always acted older than their age, especially Hinata. Over time, I just learned to treat like mini adults in most cases and they respond better that way."

Ha. He's referring to the handful of times I would get upset when I was younger and run off in the middle of an argument with him when I thought he was being unfair and unreasonable.

My uncle nods. "Ah, I see."

My father turns back to me and gives me a warm look. "But, Hinata. I really would like for you to answer his question. I promise that we are not here to trick you or betray you in any sort of way."

I do not distrust the two of them. This is just all so random and catching me by surprise. But, my father does appear to be acting truthful. I suppose I can tell them my plans about how I want to change the clan.

This better not come back to bite me in the ass.

 _I want to change the ways of the Hyūga clan. I want there to be no more Main House or Branch House. I want everybody in the clan to be equal, excluding whoever is Head of course since they are in charge. That means having equal say in things and equal training. The Hyūga clan would be a much stronger clan if everybody was trained the way us Main House members are. I just want everybody to get along and feel like they are part of the Hyūga clan as family, not as a servant or anything negative. I want to get rid of our clan's Cursed Seal and come up with another way to protect the Byakugan without having to wear a demeaning mark on your forehead. The Cursed Seal is a good start, but I believe there are better ways in doing so._

 _When everyone is united as one and the Cursed Seals are destroyed, previous Main House members may fear that the previous Branch House members will try to start a civil war out of revenge for their mistreatment all of these years. However, that is when I would have Neji step in as the voice of reasoning to conquer those fears and to persuade the previous Branch House members that they should not be thinking such ill thoughts, if they even are. I would have him as my right hand man when I become the Head and as a direct voice for those previous Branch members. He knows what it feels like to be one so those people can relate to him and will, hopefully, believe what he says about me wanting to unite everyone for peace and equality._

 _I would also like for our clan to learn a couple of long-range techniques to better accommodate after Byakugan. While our Gentle Fist fighting style works perfectly fine, we are at a disadvantage when it comes to fighting long distance. What is the use of seeing our enemy from a long distance if we have no way of stopping them? I would like to break away from these traditions because I believe they are restricting our clan. We can still be a prestigious clan, but we will be even more feared if we just become more modern and change._

 _That's all I have for now._

"So, that's how you really feel?" my father questions, raising his eyebrows.

I nod.

This is it. I've told him everything. All of my cards are on the table now.

"Hinata. Have I ever told you about the history of your clan?"

Huh? I tell him everything and he decides to ask me that?

I shake my head no.

"Then, perhaps I should before continuing this discussion any further."

He's going to tell me about the history of my clan. This should be interesting to hear, though I wonder what this has to do with anything.

"Long before we came to Konoha, the Hyūga clan was settled in their own small establishment right near where our village is built today. It was about the size of a small rural village and it was surrounded by a wall. Like how we live today, two large mansion was build for each House. The Branch House was located towards the front gate to protect the Main House, which was located in the center of the establishment. The rest of the settlement contained shops, farms, a small forest for foraging and hunting, and a fairly large pond. It sounded like a beautiful place to live. Back then, the clan was very reserved and strict about their ways. They hardly allowed anybody to leave or enter their settlement they were so particular about who they met.

"However, just because nobody was really allowed to leave does not mean the Hyūgas did not have anything to do. Many of the Branch members spent their days tending to the farms, working in their own shop, training, or serving the Main members from inside of their mansion. The Main members lived the exact same way, except they never had to serve anybody. One of the main reasons the Branch House acted as servants was to be around the Main House at all times for protection. Other than that, the Branch House did not live much differently. They were hardly mistreated, still receive training and an education, and lived a rather lavish life for a "servant". The two things that always rubbed the Branch members the wrong way was that their was no equality when it came to their training and education and Branch Members were always told to destroy their eyes if they ever come across an enemy alone and things were not looking good for them or risk their lives for the Main House. No questions asked. Now, keep in mind this was during an era before the Cursed Seal was introduced.

"After many generations of living like this, the Branch House was tired of everything and decided to get themselves into a civil war with the Main House. Since the Branch House has always outnumbered the Main, they believed they could win. Alas, they did not due to the advantage the Main House had because of their better training and for knowing how the Branch would fight because the Main House designed their required fighting style for the Branch members. After their loss, the Head of the Hyūga clan at the time created the Cursed Seal and branded each Branch member as punishment. He is the one that made it a clan law that all future generations of the Branch House will be branded with this seal within the first few years of their life. Shorty after this civil war, a few members gathered up to rebel once again. That is when they learned that the seal can destroy the brain cells inside of a person's head when it is activated. This is when the Branch House realized that they are forever under the Main House's will and control and any sort of rebellious behavior will result in a painful punishment. When everything had calmed down, everybody went back to living the way they had been. Except, the Branch House started to developed a hostile attitude towards the Main House. They never showed it in front of a Main House members, but they surely display their opinions about them behind their backs.

"Nothing else happens for a long time until many, many years after the Hyūga clan first settled in Konoha. Your great-grandfather was the Head at the time and he was the most friendliest and kind-hearted leader the Hyūga clan has ever had. He absolutely hated the way the clan was divided and wanted everyone to be united as one. Like you, Hinata, he wished for equality for this clan and wanted to get rid of the Cursed Seal. So, he secretly started to to find some way to remove the Cursed Seal and then wanted to create a new seal that everyone could have branded on their forehead to protect the Byakugan. However, this seal would not be visible to the naked mind nor can it be activated to destroy any brain cells. Your great-grandfather had a close friend who lived in Uzushiogakure who was very gifted in the art of fūinjutsu and planned on having him help with the removal of the Cursed Seal since it was deemed non removable. Before your great-grandfather could go through with any of his plans, his own father caught on to his plans. Shortly after, he mysteriously passed away in his sleep one night. Foul play was not involved, so it was deemed he died of natural causes. Though, one can claim that his death was to coincidental since his father found out what he was planning and then he dies only weeks later. But, only a handful of people really can claim that since only a handful learned about his plans. The clan members was devastated to hear of your great-grandfather's death since he was loved by almost everybody. Then, your grandfather became the new Head of the clan and ran it like any other leader.

"He wasn't a cruel leader, but one might say he blatantly favored one son over the other. Because of the way our clan is ran, many members only try to have one child if they decide to try for one. However, fate gave your grandfather twins. Since I was born first, I was instantly the heir while my brother was casted to the Branch House. Since a situation like this never happened before, one might have allowed my brother and I to be raised in the Main House lifestyle and then compete to see who will become the Head when we come to age. But, your grandfather all but disowned your uncle. While he raised me, Hizashi was raised by the nannies and servants until he was around ten year old age. After that, he was permanently sent off to the Branch House to live. Around that age, I had the same ideas as you and your great-grandfather. I wanted my brother to live the same way that I was. Though, after hearing about your great-grandfather I was to afraid to pursue such ideas and remained obedient and silent until I took over as Head of the clan.

"When you born, I was secretly hoping you would be the change that this clan needs. The change that I was too afraid to pursue myself. But, like I said, it was a secret. As a leader, I had to discourage any rebellious thoughts that you spoke with me about all the while hoping you never swayed. The first time I tried to go against tradition was when you turned three years old. I fought tooth and nail to forbid the sealing of Neji. But, I did not win. When Hanabi was born and your mother died, I did a lot of thinking for a long time. I concluded that I do not want Hanabi to live the life my brother had. I wanted her to grow up with you. So, I went against the tradition and never had her marked. For a long time, I feared you girls would wake up without a father one day because of my actions. But, nothing ever happen. Then, I decided to go against your grandfather and our clan's council some more. I allowed Neji to partake in many training sessions with you, not just in sparring, and I treated him better than any other Branch member has been treated. I allowed you to stay friends with Naruto and I allowed you to grow up to being able to speak your mind and make your own choices. While this doesn't sound like much, it is a good start when it comes to changing the clan."

Wow. So, the Cursed Seal hasn't been around since the beginning of the Hyūga clan. In fact, living as a Branch member within the clan didn't sound so bad at first. But, things still weren't equal and they were still labeled as servants to the Main House. However, it was the Branch House's fought that the Cursed Seal was even created for starting a civil war. Technically, today's generation of Branch House members should be angry at their ancestors, not us current Main House members. Though, it makes sense that they are angry with us because we've never done anything to get rid of the seal. If only everyone knew about my great-grandfather's plans. He sounds like an awesome person and I wish I could've gotten to meet him. But, it does sound like he was killed by someone because his plans were leaked to his father someone. I highly doubt his father just waltzed in on him one day while he was conspiring. I believe someone betrayed my great-grandfather.

But, I still don't understand why my father is telling me all of this? Is he trying to persuade me to not go through with my ideas in fear of being randomly killed one day because of it? It sounds like that is what my father feared if he had totally went against tradition. But, I think it would be pretty hard to kill the Head of the Hyūga clan, especially my father. He's a very strong person. Does he know who would kill him and he know that person can out fight him or is he staying fearful and cautious for a "just in case" type thing? To me, it sounds like somebody from the council would come and kill him, but everybody on the council is just a bunch of old, retired Hyūga fucks.

But, age doesn't determine a Shinobi's strength.

I glance over at my uncle and there is an intense expression resting on his face.

I guess he didn't enjoy hearing how his side of the family keeps getting screwed over by his brother's side.

 _So, are you warning me that if I try to change the Hyūga clan that I may face terrible consequences? Because, if so, I really don't care. I will always want to change this clan and I will try my best to succeed. I'll just continue what you and my great-grandfather couldn't and I couldn't care less about what the Elder and the Hyūga council thinks._

My uncle and father both look at each other and then turn back to me, smiling.

Okay. It seems like I said something right.

"We knew you would say that," my father admits.

 _We?_

My uncle nods. "I always figured you had a different mindset about the Hyūga clan than others. You have always been close to my son, despite this status, and you are so kind-hearted, selfless, and caring of others." He flickers his eyes over at his brother. "I just admit, despite thinking these things about you, I still have instilled negatively towards the Main House to Neji here and there over the years. Over the past month, I even pushed negative thoughts into Neji's head about you when he told me that you two would be facing off during the Finals. I just always that he deserved to be in your spot over you, especially when he informed me that he taught himself _Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms_ and _Rotation_ by merely watching Hiashi performing it a few times while you were struggling to learn those two techniques. Since he has two those mastered, I taught him the _Eight Trigrams: Air Palm_ and help trained him to defeat you.

"After you won your match, I saw that look on your face. You didn't look happy with beating Neji nor did you gloat or berate him because you had won. Instead, you still cared about his well being and spoke kindly to him before he was sent off. That is when I got up to go talk to him and tell him how the way I've been acting lately was wrong, but then your father came in during the middle of our talk. From him, I learned about his and your suspected intentions about the Hyūga clan and he realized during the match that Neji should not be feeling the way he does and it needs to stop. After that, my son admitted that you had asked him to help you with your goal to change the clan, but that you've never went into much detail about it.

"I know I have not been the best uncle to you. I've always kept myself distance towards you despite your kind personality and being close with Neji. I just always assumed those traits and your relationship would fizzle away over the years one you started getting more involved with our clan's politics. I didn't want to get my hopes over about you, but it looks like I assumed too quickly about you." He bows. "For that, Hinata-sama, I apologize deeply for the ways I've acted towards you, directly and indirectly, and for causing mistrust and unnecessary friction between you and Neji."

I blink.

Never in a million years did I think Hizashi thought of me so highly nor would he ever apologize to me. Nor did I thought my father would go out of his ways to make things good thing between him and his brother.

Am I really having this much of an influence on people?

 _Please do not call me Hinata-sama. Just call me Hinata-chan, Hinata-san, or simply Hinata. I'm not all for that formal stuff when it comes to my close family and friends._

My uncle straightens up and chuckles. "I remember Neji telling me that you said something similar to him before when you two were just toddlers."

 _I guess that proves I am always able to stand by my beliefs and never change them._

"Which is a quality that all leaders should have if those beliefs are able to benefit their people," my father tells me. "Like we stated before, we wanted to talk with you about your future with the Hyūga clan because we've always had an idea about how you felt. We just wanted you to prove us wrong or right before we proceeded. While I told you the history of our clan with the intent of warning you about what could happen if you go against traditions, I want to tell you that we fully support you and are here to help you meet your goals."

I suck in a gasp.

 _You are?_

My father nods. "It might make more sense for me to try to change things myself since I am the current leader, but I think more things will get done in the long run if we work from behind the scenes and have everything unfold when you become the Head. I have already testing the waters here and there with the smaller things so I do not want to press my luck any further. Instead, I'm going to help out by preventing anyone from getting the Cursed Seal until you become of age and your uncle and I will start researching ways on how to remove the seal and to come up with a better one. Unfortunately, your great-grandfather findings and work has been either destroyed or stored in a secret spot. It is a shame that the Uzumaki clan is not around anymore to lend us a helping hand."

A lightbulb goes off in my head.

What if I can persuade Naruto into learning fūinjutsu? If I recall, Jiraiya is an expert when it comes to seals. Maybe Jiraiya could train him!

 _Maybe I could pull some strings with a certain Uzumaki I know._

My father arches an eyebrow. "Does he have experience with fūinjutsu?"

I shake my head.

 _No, but he could learn. It runs in his blood so he should pick up on the art fairly quick._

My father sighs. "Fūinjutsu is not an easy thing to learn, Hinata. But, we can come back to that later. Anyways, I cannot express to you enough how important it is to keep everything that was said in this room during this conversation today disclosed. The three of us and Neji are the only ones who knows about this. You are very goal driven and serious when it comes to things like this so I can count on you to take this serious and not let any of us down. We already putting a lot on the line for you, especially your uncle and Neji, to help you change the ways of this clan. However, don't get too excited and carried away and expect immediate results. Like I mentioned, we are basically just working behind the scenes as of now and gathering anything research and information we can. Nothing can really unfold until you become the Head and we have successfully found a way to remove the Cursed Seal and to come up with a better way to protect the Byakugan."

"We probably could have had this talk with you when you were better, but we didn't want to risk someone overhearing us at the compound," my uncle explain. "Since we were both at the hospital today, we thought we might as well go ahead and have it with you."

This is all going so great right now. I am so happy that these two are on my side. I always thought Neji and I would have to go at this alone and then just drop all of these changes on everybody once I become the Head. I am glad they had this talk with me because now I am starting to realize that it is going to be harder than I thought to change the ways of the Hyūga, especially since I have learned that one Head has already potentially gotten killed for trying to pursue what I want to do.

 _Thank you. I truly appreciate what you two are doing for me. I promise you that I will keep this all a secret, take it seriously, and will not let any of you down. I intend on going through with my plans and will try my hardest to gather all the information I can._

My father and uncle nod at me and then my uncle turns to look at his brother. "Well, I am going to head back now. I have not slept much these past three days and I suggest you do the same, Hiashi."

As much as I enjoyed this talk, I am kind of glad they are wanting to leave. I have been writing non stop for awhile now and my hand is starting to cramp up.

"Since it is getting late now, Hinata, I am going to just visit you with Hanabi tomorrow," my father tells me. "She is not going to like hearing about the delay, but at she will be fine. She just misses you a lot and has been worried sick over you."

 _Tell Hanabi that I love her very much and I cannot wait to see her tomorrow._

"I will." He walks over to the door and then pauses. "Actually, toss me your notepad. I do not want anybody seeing what you had wrote during this conversation. I promise to bring you another one tomorrow."

I throw him my notepad and the two of them finally leave and I lay down in my bed, shutting my eye.

I instantly fall asleep before getting the chance to recap about our talk.

* * *

I learn that I am supposed to be bedridden for two weeks because that is how long it is going to take for my eye to heal. Well, at least it should heal. The hospital staff does not want me to walk around half-blind. My arm should also be healed completely by then. Typically a broken arm only takes a few days to heal, but Sakon snapped the bones in my arm right in half so it is taking a little longer.

Over the next few days, I feel very popular because I have a lot of visitors to come see me. Though, Asuma still hasn't came to see me. On the fourth day of being in the hospital, besides my family and friends, Ebisu heard that I was finally conscious and came to visit me. He only just popped in long enough to wish me better and to tell me how proud he was of me for winning against Neji since he was very busy. Even though the rest of my matches was cancelled due to the invasion, he assured me that I still did well enough in my fight with Neji to catch some people's eyes. After hearing that, I try not to let it get to me because I am still unsure if I still want to become a Chunin or not if they offer me a promotion.

On the fifth day, Rock Lee shocks me by paying me an afternoon visit after finishing his third training session of the day with Guy. They both went to check on Neji and then Lee decided to come visit me alone.

 _Hello, Lee._

Lee blinks in surprise. "You still cannot talk?"

 _If I could, I wouldn't be greeting you with a piece of paper._

"Ah, obviously," Lee says in mild embarrassment. He straightens and clears his throat. "I bet you are wondering why I am here since we do not have the best of relationships."

 _You're making it sound like we are dislike each other._

"Well, we did start off on the wrong foot."

 _Nah. It has been totally one-sided on your part._

Lee lowers his eyes. "I… I realize that. I just came here to apologize to you for the way I have been acting towards you. I have been very rude and disrespectful and you have done nothing to me to deserve such horrible treatment." He bows. "Please accept my apology!"

He wants to apologize?

I start to scribble on my notepad and Lee hears and raises his head to see what I just wrote.

 _Why are you deciding now to apologize?_

"Huh? Oh, well Guy-sensei told me what you said to Gaara when you were standing off with him," Lee replies.

* * *

 _"I don't know what you mean," I begin. "But, I'll always get in your way if you try to kill my friends and family! I mean, this is your third time trying and I'm not gonna allow you to do so!" I look at Guy and feel to add the next part in. "Yeah, I'm not close to all of these people, but they are still my comrades and I will put my life on the line for any of them!"_

* * *

"And," Lee continues. "He also told me that my bones would have been shattered by Gaara's wave of sand if you had not interfered with the match. For that, I am grateful. I have been misjudging you this whole time. I thought you were just another Neji, but I was wrong. You have never looked down on me and you care deeply for your comrades."

Oh, well that makes sense. I suppose I can forgive him. I don't have a grudge on the kid and it takes a lot to apologize to someone. I know that I suck at doing such a thing.

I give Lee a reassuring smile.

 _I accept your apology, Lee. I never intended on coming across as a snob or trying to sabotage your match. I was really worried for your wellbeing._

Suddenly, Lee bursts into tears!

"I… sniff… I do not deserve such kindness from you!" Lee sobs.

I roll my eye.

Oh, boy.

I snap my fingers at him to get his attention.

 _Please stop crying._

Lee nods and quickly dries up his tears.

Damn, he's such an emotional and sensitive person.

"I also came to congratulate you for defeating Neji," Lee tells me. "You did a great job."

 _Thank you._

Lee flashes me a "nice guy" grin. "You are most certainly welcome! However, it just eats me up knowing that you were the one who was able to defeat my rival, Neji, before I was able to!"

I blink.

W-what?

 _I'm… sorry?_

Lee shakes his head. "No! Do not be sorry! I know now that I must work even harder now to be able to defeat someone like you after getting strong enough to take on Neji."

 _What do you mean by "defeating someone like me"?_

Lee clasps his hands together. "I mean that, from this day forward, you are my Eternal Rival #3, Hyūga Hinata!"

…. He wants me to become his rival? You've got to be kidding me!

 _Wait, why am I considered Eternal Rival #3? You have another rival besides Neji and I?_

Lee nods. "Yes. It is Naruto. I was planning on making you Eternal Rival #2, but you have been in the hospital so I came across Naruto before seeing you."

Naruto defeated Gaara, something that Lee couldn't do. Of course Naruto is one of Lee's rivals now.

 _Isn't there some kind of unspoken rule that you can only have one rival?_

"Nope! Guy-sensei says I can have as much rivals as I want as long as the other person knows about it!"

Are you sure he wasn't giving you relationship advice about Sakura?

"And, now that you know you are my rival, can I be your rival?"

God, this is such a weird conversation.

But, I guess having a rival would be kind of cool. Almost every Shinobi has one, one-sided or not, so I want to join the club!

 _I would love to be your Eternal Rival #3!_

Lee beams at me. "Awesome! Our first sparring match will be one month from today! Good-bye!"

Wait! Wait! What?! He is already forcing me to spar with him?! That little sneak. Running off like that!

Ugh, Lee has me all worked up now. Plus, I'm tiring of doing nothing but laying in this bed. I think I may pay Neji a visit. I'm sure he is still up since Lee and Guy just visited him.

I carefully climb out of my bed and open the door leading into the hallway. I make sure the coast is clear before I leave my room and head over towards Neji's room. When I approach his room, I see through the door that he is meditating and I tiptoe in. I silently close the door behind me and his eyes suddenly snap open, causing me to jump a little.

Neji arches an eyebrow. "Hinata? What are you doing out of your room? You are suppose to be on bedrest."

I shrug and walk over to sit at the foot of his bed.

 _I missed your face so I came to see it._

Neji rolls his eyes. "If you get caught, I am not catching any of the blame."

 _No way! I will tell the nurse that you dragged me in here against my will._

Neji just stares at me. "Please don't do that."

 _Okay, so how are you feeling?_

"I am feeling as good as I can for somebody who was struck multiple times by sharp needles and arrows."

 _You don't sound bitter at all._

Neji rolls his eyes. "How are you feeling, Hinata?"

 _I am feeling okay for somebody who had their eye ripped out, their throat crushed, and their arm broken._

Neji blinks. "I can't tell if you're being serious or just trying to make me feel bad."

 _The second choice._

"Of course you are."

 _Guess what?_

"What?"

 _You and I are rival siblings._

"I beg your pardon?"

 _Lee came by to visit me, we chatted a little bit, and then he declared me his Eternal Rival #3._

Neji rubs his face. "Not you, too."

 _Yeah. He's already scheduled our first sparring date together._

Neji smirks. "You two are moving a little too fast. When's the wedding?"

 _At that beach that Guy and Lee always creates when they are having an emotional moment together._

"You have experienced that? I wonder how they do that?"

 _By using the Power of Youth._

Neji points at the door. "Leave."

 _Hey! I'm kidding! Sheesh._

Neji chuckles and then his face grows serious. "So, I heard that both of our fathers spoke to you about a certain something the other day."

I only nod. I am trying to avoid writing about it just in case someone stumbles across my notepad.

"I know they really do not want us talking about this without them present, but I just want to assure you that I am all on board with this whole thing," Neji tells me.

 _Thank you._

He gives me a gentle look. "And, I do not bear a grudge against your father anymore. He has explained to me why he had to activate my Curse Seal that day, despite not wanting to do so. I am kind your father and I can rekindle their brotherhood again and I hope you and I can go back to the way we were before I acted like a jerk."

I smile at him and nod.

"Great."

Just then, I notice a nurse heading towards Neji's room and I jump up from Neji's bed to rush over to the door.

"Let me guess: there is a nurse coming?" Neji asks with a smirk.

I nod and quickly gave him a wave before dashing back to my room.

Damn. I can't enjoy nothing! I don't want to go back to my room.

As I approach my room, I notice that Sasuke is standing in there and he is frantically whipping his head around.

What is he doing here and what's wrong with him?

I open the door and Sasuke spins around.

"Hinata!" He hurries over to me and grabs my arm. "Where have you been… nevermind that! Has Naruto stopped by?!"

I shake my head no.

"Damn it!" Sasuke curses. He drops my arm and dashes past me.

What the..? Why is he wondering where Naruto is? Is there something…

Wait!

I know why he is wondering about Naruto.

Itachi is back in the village.

But, I just have one question, what the hell is he doing here if the Hokage isn't dead?

I turn around and chase after Sasuke.

 **Author's Note: Hey, guys! I know that I just posed a chapter less than 24 hours ago, but I was off of work today so I decided to spend my day writing another chapter and to post it today! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and enjoying learning about some of the history of the Hyūga clan. Hint: OC Hinata still has much to learn about this clan of hers.**


	30. Chapter 30: The Family Affairs Arc

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **The Family Affairs Arc**

 **Chapter thirty**

Why the hell would Itachi be here if the Third Hokage has not been declared dead? If I recall correctly, the only reason he came back before is because the Hokage had died and he wanted to let it be known to Danzō that he was still around and they better not touch Sasuke.

Has Itachi somehow received word of the Hokage's critical condition and it is still uncertain whether he may live or not? Is he deciding to go ahead and make his presence known within the village just incase our leader does pass away? Maybe Pain has ordered Itachi to take advantage of the aftermath of the invasion and snatch up Naruto while everyone else is focusing on our leader's health, rebuilding our village, and mourning the dead.

I wish Itachi would just take advantage of his label as a homicidal murderer instead and just kill Danzō and the Third Hokage's other two previous teammate instead of stalking Naruto and beating on Sasuke.

Yes, I just wished Itachi would murder someone to make my life a little bit easier and, no, I do not feel bad about thinking such things.

Anyways, now I am following Sasuke out of the hospital… and I really don't know why. It isn't like I can stop Itachi or his partner, Kisame, from attempting to catch Naruto. I know they aren't going to succeed anyways because Jiraiya gets involved and Itachi doesn't even try his best to capture Naruto. If I think about it, I guess I reacted on the spot and followed Sasuke because I don't want Itachi to ruin everything I've done so far to keep Sasuke from leaving the village. I haven't heard Sasuke say anything about revenge or power in a long time and Itachi can potentially ruin that if he traps Sasuke under his Infinite Tsukuyomi to show how the Uchiha Massacre went down.

Now, just because I don't want Itachi to mentally break down Sasuke doesn't even I can just jump in and stop him. I am half-blind and I have a broken arm. I'm not in any shape to be stopping anybody, especially a S-ranked Shinobi like Itachi.

"Are you out of your mind!?" Sasuke calls back at me as he realizes that I am following him. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

I just kind of blink at him for not realizing that I still can't really talk so I just lamely shrug in response.

"This is none of your damn business!" Sasuke shouts. "Go back, now!"

I ignore his orders and continue on chasing after him. I hear Sasuke curse underneath his breath, but he doesn't do anything to prevent me from following him. He doesn't have the time to do so right now. Sasuke rushes into Ramen Ichiraku and I stand just outside of the restaurant just incase he quickly tries to stop be from following him anymore by throwing me over the counter or restricting me with ramen noodles. He speaks to the owner for a split second before hurrying out of the there and I go, too. As I quickly and silently follow him through the village, out of the gates, and into the surrounding forest, he suddenly stops running and I collide into him. He spins around, reaches out to grab me, and pins me against a tree. Before he can do anything else, I quickly knock him back with a small blast of chakra.

"What are you doing?!" I question sharply. Then, my throat instantly flares up and dries out and it starts to hurt as I cough.

Damn it. I spoke out of surprise. I still have not been cleared to talk so my throat can heal. I guess I will need to talk since I didn't bring my notepad. I will just have speak when necessary and in a low whisper.

"Trying to prevent you from following me anymore!" Sasuke snaps, pretending to not notice my coughing fit. "I told you to stay back!"

I just narrow my eyes at him and shake my head.

"Listen to me! Go back to the village!"

"You are wasting time arguing with me if something has happened to Naruto," I whisper hoarsely. "We need to get going."

"No. _I_ need to get going. _You_ are going back!"

I shake my head again and motion him with my hand to hint that we need to go on.

Sasuke gives me a dirty look, but we take off once again at full speed.

"Look, I'm just looking after your well being and trying to keep you safe," Sasuke growls. "My… Itachi is back around and he's targeting Naruto."

I know he cannot see me, but I raise my eyebrows in mock surprise.

"That's why I told you to not follow me," Sasuke explains. "It has been your goal lately to keep me away from Orochimaru and his underlings, well it has been one of mine to keep you and my close ones away from Itachi by killing him." He rubs his face. "Though, I don't get why he's after Naruto when I'm just nearby! He should be coming after me! Not Naruto! The coward."

"We'll just have to find Naruto before he does," I tell him. "Well, it is a good thing I'm coming with you, then. We can search for him easier with my Byakugan."

"Yeah, but only one of your eyes is useful. You won't be able to expand your vision out to it's fullest, right?"

I nod and wave my hand as if to indicate that I will be fine.

After awhile of running, we enter the outpost town and gaze upon the crowds of buildings with colorful lights and strange looking people. This seems more like an entertainment town than anything. We stand there for a second as I expand my vision as far as I can without using my left eye. I search through the nearby hotels and shops, but I cannot spot them.

"I don't see them," I say to Sasuke. "Let's get closer."

As we run, I continue to scan through the surrounding buildings with Sasuke running in front of me as my guide to make sure I don't fall or run into anybody. As I look, I swear I saw a flicker of a blurry figure zipping just out of my field of range and I keep a mental note of it. It is probably Itachi and Kisame lurking around. Itachi probably recognized me and is trying to keep his distance or mask his presence with some genjutsu. I know my Byakugan can see through genjutsu, but you can never be sure about Itachi because he's on a whole another level.

Finally, I spot Naruto chilling in a hotel room after a few minutes. Jiraiya doesn't seem to be around, but Naruto has surrounding himself with his Shadow Clones and they all seem to be meditating or practicing some chakra exercises. I tap on Sasuke's shoulder and point at the hotel. He nods and we rush into the hotel and pass the hotel clerk sitting behind the front desk. He let's out a startled cry towards us, but we ignore him and continue up the stairs and right to Naruto's room number.

"Naruto? Naruto, open up!" Sasuke calls out as he pounds on the door.

"Huh? Alright, hold your horses," I hear Naruto mumble from the other side. "I'm coming."

As Naruto dissipates his clones and takes his sweet time approaching the door, I decide to look around with my Byakugan to keep a lookout for Itachi and Kisame. As I slightly start to expand my eyesight, I notice Itachi and Kisame presence from across the street from the hotel. They appear to be staking out, as if they are waiting for us to gather up Naruto and leave so they follow and ambush us. That's what they appear to be doing, but Itachi and Kisame are more careful and advanced than that. Especially Itachi since he knows I have the Byakugan.

I don't know what they are up to, but we don't have time to be lollygagging around like this! We need to grab Naruto and come up with a quick plan!

I wave Sasuke aside and he arches an eyebrow as he moves away from the door. I approach the door, raise my foot, and proceed to kick the door wide open. Sasuke just stares at me with squinty eyes as Naruto yelps from his bed on the other side.

"H-Hinata?" Naruto stammers.

I don't say anything as I stride on in. Sasuke just blinks and hurries in after me, closing the surprisingly not broken door behind us.

"What the hell are you guys doing here?" Naruto questions. "Especially you, Hinata! Shouldn't you be at the hospital still?"

"There are two people after you, Naruto," Sasuke explains quickly.

"And, they are camping out across the street," I add in a low voice.

"W-what?" Naruto says as Sasuke narrows his eyes.

"He's here?"

I nod and Sasuke grits his teeth and clenches his fists.

"Who's he?" Naruto asks. "And, why the hell are there people after me?!"

"We will explain everything to you later," I tell him. "Right now, we have to come up with a plan and get out of here."

Sasuke looks down. "You two go on. I… I need to take care of something."

I shoot him a glare from behind my bandages. "The hell you are!"

Both Sasuke and Naruto raise their eyebrows at my cursing.

Damn it. This boy is going to make my voice even worse from yelling with his stupid comments.

Sasuke scowls. "You better not get in my way, Hinata! I can be a distraction while the two of you sneak away and find Jiraiya!"

"Do you really think you can take him on right here and now?" I continue, ignoring the pain in my throat. "You're a skilled Shinobi, Sasuke, but you are not at his level. Not yet!"

"I'll be fine," Sasuke growls. "You two just go!"

From below, I see that Itachi and Kisame are making their way across the street and into the hotel.

I shake my head and reach out to grab his arm. "They are on there way up here now! You are coming with us!"

Sasuke jerks his arm away and we both stare each other down, even though it is kind of awkward to come across as intense when I have bandages on.

Naruto looks at the both of us. "Um, Sasuke. I don't know what you two are getting so worked up over, but I think you should listen to her. Hinata is usually right about these things, even though I don't think it is a good idea for her to be talking right now. Plus, you know, we should get a move on if somebody is after me. I mean, I would usually stay around to take them on, but she seems really against it so..."

Sasuke gives Naruto and I a conflicted glance and he huffs. "Fine. But, I will approach him once we are out of this town and you two better stay out of my way."

I nod in agreement, for now, but I do not promise anything.

"Since they are on there way up here, we need to escape out of the window," I say. "Naruto, I need you to create three Shadow Clones and have two of them transform as me and Sasuke. This should buy us some time as we escape and find Jiraiya."

I highly doubt my plan will trick or really even distract the two Akatsuki members, but it will have to do.

"Alright!" Naruto replies and he creates three clones.

As they appear, two of them transform into an exact replica of me and Sasuke. Just as Naruto goes to slide open the window, I see that Itachi and Kisame are ascending the staircase to this floor. We hop out the window one by one and I take position in the back as we start jumping from roof to roof to make sure Sasuke doesn't turn around to run back to the hotel room.

"Knowing Pervy Sage, he's probably at some bar with that lady he met earlier," Naruto mumbles to himself as I glance around for his master.

Shit. We don't have time to search every bar in this town for Jiraiya and I don't see him nearby.

"Naruto!" I call out. "Flare up your chakra! If we can't find Jiraiya, we will minimize our searching time by having him come to us!"

Naruto has a large amount of chakra that even somebody who cannot sense chakra could still feel through the air once it is flared up to the max.

"But, then those two will find us quicker, also!" Sasuke adds in.

"I already figured that. Let's just hope Jiraiya is just as fast as they are."

We stop moving and land on the rooftop of some shop as Naruto pushes his fingers together and starts to concentrate on his chakra. A red aura begins to exert out of his body and starts to swirl slowly around him. Sasuke just gawks at Naruto with slightly widen eyes as he has never seen this red chakra before. Before he can ask any questions about it, I immediately sense three chakra presences heading in our direction. Two from the south and one from the west. I enlarge my vision once more and confirm that Jiraiya, Kisame, and Itachi has seen Naruto's sudden chakra flare up and is heading in our direction. Jiraiya appears to be carrying a dark-haired attractive woman over his shoulder.

"Okay, Naruto. You can stop now," I tell him. "Jiraiya has sensed your presence, but so has the other two."

Sasuke tenses up as Naruto's red chakra fizzles away.

"You and Sasuke keep saying "him" and "them" and "those two! Can you please tell me who is after me?" Naruto demands to know.

"They are two men who are wearing dark robes with red clouds on them," I reply. "One has blue skin, small dark eyes, and razor sharp teeth, almost resembling a shark. The other is-"

"Is my brother," Sasuke finishes, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. "Uchiha Itachi."

Naruto widens his eyes in a mixture of shock and fear as he gasps. "Uchiha… Itachi?"

 _The guy who killed your entire clan?_ he adds silently.

Sasuke nods slowly.

"But… but… but why would he be after me?" Naruto sputters. "I mean, I've never even met the guy! What does he want with me?"

I shrug. "I don't know. I mean, what's so special about you that is making them target you?"

Naruto goes to shrug back when he gives me a look of realization, as if he understands where I am getting at without having to say it outloud in front of Sasuke.

"You mean, you haven't told your buddies?" a gruff voice asks as two figures suddenly appear out of thin air. "Heh, maybe the brat doesn't even know himself."

Naruto's eyes widen as Kisame and Itachi stand calmly and cooly in front of us. Itachi is staring us down with a blank, yet intense stare while Kisame is grinning as if someone has told him a hilarious joke, revealing all of his abnormally sharp teeth. While Naruto is staring at the two Akatsuki members in fear and shock, Sasuke is glaring down his brother with a very hateful look and a tremendous amount of killer intent. His body is starting to shake in a mixture of anger and adrenaline, his teeth and fist staying tense and clenched. For now, he is listening to me and not attacking his brother.

As I gawk at Itachi and Kisame myself, I oddly feel a little terrified. Even though I know why Itachi really took out his clan, he is still a very powerful and talented Shinobi who can kill any of us in a blink of an eye. The same with Kisame. He is so tall, towering over the rest of us, and that sword hanging over his shoulder doesn't make him look very friendly, despite the grin on his face.

All in all, these two are part of the Akatsuki and we need to be careful with them.

Before the three of us can make a move or say anything, Jiraiya finally appears in front of us.

He raises an eyebrow at the two males and smirks. "You two don't know me at all, do ya? You should've done your homework. Jiraiya the Toad Sage falls victim to no woman's charm. Rare beauties drop for me, like blossoms during a storm! It isn't in my nature to be duped by the wilds of women. When you have reached the stature I have, the ladies kneel and worship at your awesomeness!" He finishes his speech by thrusting his hand out and posing the best he could while having a woman hanging over his shoulder.

I sweatdrop as Naruto gives his master an irritated look. "Don't give us that crap!" he yells. "Every time you see a woman, you fall for her like a mountain of mush, Pervy Sage!"

Jiraiya drops his pose and his confidence instantly plummets. He turns to Naruto and leans down towards him. "I told you to not call me that in front of others, especially people like them."

Naruto rolls his eyes and points at the two Akatsuki members. "Are you kidding me? We have more important things to worry about right now!"

Jiraiya's eyebrows twitch, but he sighes and whirls back around to face the enemy just as Kisame laughs uncharastically. "No matter what name you go back Jiraiya-sama, I must say you're something of a disappointment. You are an old man who acts like a child. It is hard to even believe that you are one of the three legendary Sannin." He moves his eyes over to the woman. "So, you've managed to break the genjutsu that was casted on her, eh?"

Jiraiya's playful demeanor drops and he grows serious. "What kind of coward would do something like that?" he mumbles as he carefully places the woman down off to the side. "Inflicting an illusion on an innocent woman and all in order to separate Naruto from me." He jabs his thumb backwards towards me and Sasuke. "It is a good thing that these two miraculously showed up to get Naruto out of harm's way. Though, I don't understand what compelled the two of you to venture all the way here."

"I was informed about his whereabouts," Sasuke growls, pointing at his brother. "Hinata tagged along after I went searching for Naruto at the hospital."

I must be a strange sight to see right now. Anyone can obviously tell that I just came from the hospital with my bandages around my eyes, ugly green hospital gown, and the cast on my arm.

Why did I follow Sasuke again when I look like a hot mess?

Naruto narrows his eyes. "Yeah, and those two seem to be after me for some reason."

"Yes," Itachi says cooly, confirming Naruto's words. "You are the prize that the Akatsuki is after. And, we will have you."

Naruto gulps as I instinctively take a step towards him while being on my guard. Itachi notices my minor movement and flickers his red as over to me briefly. I quickly focus my vision to Kisame to avoid the risk of Itachi putting me under a genjutsu. However, it seems like Itachi glancing at me is all it took to set Sasuke off. He quickly weaves handsigns, brings his hand down, and a ball of electricity starts to form. Once it stops growing, Sasuke gives out a loud yell and takes off towards Itachi as the older Uchiha just stands there without flinching. As he got closer, Sasuke juts his Chidori forward to strike Itachi, but Itachi simply grabs his younger brother's arm and flips him forward. As Sasuke lands on the ground, the Chidori makes contact with the roof and blasts a small hole right through it. Sasuke goes to spring up, but Itachi jabs Sasuke in the back of his head and forces him back down with his foot.

"Sasuke!" Naruto cries out. "Damn it."

Naruto's red chakra flares back to life and he begins to make hand signs, but he is disrupted as Kisame flickers over in front of Naruto with blinding speed. He grins down at the blonde headed boy and he brings his hand back to grab his sword. As I realize what he is about to do, I leap over to position myself between Kisame and Naruto just as Kisame is pulling his sword out of his sealth. I start to swiftly move my right arm around as I emit chakra out of my palm to create a half-assed version of _Protective Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms_. As a small chakra barrier begins to form, Kisame brings his bandaged sword down on me, but it doesn't break through my protection.

"Heh, nice technquie, kid," Kisame taunts. "Too bad it isn't enough."

Kisame presses down even further with his sword and my chakra suddenly vanishes. I blink in surprise.

What the hell just happened? Where's my chakra?

"You see, Samehada's specialty is absorbing chakra," Kisame explains.

Oh, yeah. I remember that now.

Great.

Kisame swings Samehada around his head and slashes it back down towards me before I am able to react. Suddenly, a thick cloud of smoke appears and the sword never makes contact with me. Through the smoke, I see a medium-sized orange toad has it's arms crossed and has stopped the sword with the metal gauntlets on its wrist. Kisame sneers and goes to retract his sword, but the toad grabs Samehada with its webbed hands and doesn't let go. As they start a game of tug-a-war, I see from behind me that Jiraiya is making handsigns and slams his palms onto the ground.

" _Summoning: Toad Mouth Bind_!"

Pink flesh shoots out of Jiraiya's hands and starts to form around the six of us, building a flesh wall, roof, and flooring. I feel my feet sink into the flesh slightly and I lift them up only to have a piece of flesh sticking to the bottom of my shoes.

This is totally gross.

"You two have just been swallowed by the Mountain Toad," Jiraiya says to Kisame and Itachi. "Welcome, my friends, to the belly of the beast! No one has ever been strong enough to escape before! You won't be taking Naruto now!"

Naruto frantically looks around. "I don't have any worries of them kidnapping me now if I'm going to be some toad's dinner!"

"Relax, Naruto, and just stand still!" Jiraiya calls back. "Trust in my jutsu."

Naruto nods weakly. "Man, I don't like this at all."

Jiraiya presses his palms deeper into the flesh and the flesh behind Kisame starts to rise up and wrap around his legs. Kisame glances down to see what is going on and tries to move his legs to break apart the flesh, but it is holding strong. While Kisame is briefly distracted, the orange toad open its mouth and shoots out a blast of oil into Kisame's face. The sharkman curses as the oil slides down into his eyes, but he still has a strong grasp on his sword, not showing any signs of letting go.

At this moment, Naruto rushes over to the toad's side and moves his hands around.

" _Wind Style: Great Breakthrough_!"

A blast of wind shoots out of Naruto's mouth and towards Kisame. He tries to stand firm, using the sticky flesh to his advantage, but Jiraiya let's up on his jutsu a little and Kisame is finally sent flying into the flesh wall, leaving behind Samehada. As he crashes into the wall, strains of flesh rise up and cover themselves over Kisame's body to keep him restrained. He thrashes around to break free, but fails. Seeing it isn't needed anymore since Kisame is currently trapped, the orange toad bids it's goodbye and poofs away.

"Good thinking, Naruto," Jiraiya compliments.

Naruto opens his mouth to say something back, but is cut off by a loud and painful shout from behind us. We all whirl around to see Itachi has broken Sasuke's wrist and is now picking him up by the neck to pin him against the flesh wall.

No! This is where Itachi activates his genjutsu on Sasuke and that drives Sasuke even further down the wrong path!

Without thinking of the consequences, I bring both of my hands together and quickly start to weave hand signs, ignoring the intense pain shooting down my broken left arm. In a split second, I have switched positions with Sasuke and am now staring into the eyes of Itachi's Sharingan. I instantly deactivate my Byakugan to keep myself from going under the genjutsu, but braced myself just incase it has already taken effect. After a couple of seconds of nothing happening, I can confirm that I am not under his mind games. However, his fingers are wrapped tightly around my neck and I am having a hard time breathing. My neck is still tender from Sakon crushing it over and over again so this is not a very comfortable situation to be in right now.

Even though I can't see anything, I can sense that Itachi is staring me down and is probably pissed off that I substituted Sasuke's body for mine. Even though I can hear Naruto shouting something from behind Itachi and Sasuke's moans of pain, my focus is entirely on Itachi. The silence between us is growing eerie and I feel like I have to say something.

But, what is there to say? Stop torturing Sasuke? Tell Sasuke the truth? Turn against Kisame, and the Akatsuki, and don't kidnap Naruto?

Memories from my mission to Yugakure flashes through my mind and I remember how I was questioning at the time whether my Shadow Clone actually had seen Itachi or it was all just a dream.

Maybe I can say something about that…

"Why didn't you kill me back in Yugakure?" I ask in a low voice so the others wouldn't hear me.

I don't know if my hearing is placing tricks on me, but I swear that I just heard Itachi slightly suck in his breathe in surprise just now. I feel something graze over my bandages before they were abruptly ripped off my face. The sudden reflection of light starts to sting my eyes and they begin to water as I squeeze them shut to prevent them from hurting, especially my left one. Then, my instincts start to shout in alarm that something is going on and I can the sensation in the air has changed. As if everything is still. I don't hear Naruto shocking anymore or Sasuke's groans. I squint open my right eye to see what is going on and dread hits me. My surroundings have been changed from pink fleshy walls to red foggy clouds. I am standing on a black, barren ground and above me, right in between the red clouds, is a giant full moon in the color of blood.

I am now under Itachi's _Tsukuyomi._

I fully open my right eyes to see better and find that Itachi is still standing in front of me, though he is a little further back. He isn't pinning me against the wall anymore and doesn't appear as angry or annoyed as I thought he would be with me. Which, I guess I shouldn't be surprised since Itachi is the master of masking his emotions.

"You can open your eyes now," Itachi finally says to me, though I realize he isn't answering my question.

I am about to say my eye is open, when I catch on that he said the term purally.

Can I really open my left eye in this "world"? Will it hurt? Will I actually be able to see?

I hesitate for second and then slowly peek my eye open. Like my right eye, I can actually see and I feel no pain so I open it fully.

This feels weird. I haven't opened both my eyes in a while.

Wait, no! I can't get distracted! I am currently under his genjutsu so I need to stay alarmed and he hasn't answered me yet!

"Why didn't you kill me back in Yugakure?" I repeat. Itachi remains silent and doubt starts to settle in my mind, but I push it aside and continue. "In Yugakure, my clone came across you and two others who were wearing the same robes as you. You… you caught my clone spying on you and attempted to put her under a genjutsu."

Did I sound sure of myself?

Itachi merely blinks. "Do you know what you are talking about? You sound unsure of yourself.

Damnit, I wasn't convincing enough!

"By meeting my clone," I press on, ignoring his comment. "You could've assumed that I was somewhere nearby and it would've made sense for you to come find and kill me since I knew you were lurking around."

"Wouldn't it also be logical for you to inform whoever you were with that your clone came across me?" Itachi retorts.

Well… yeah. It would've been. He has me there.

But, is he indirectly admitting that my clone did cross paths with him back near Yugakure?

"You also didn't kill me back then," I find myself saying.

Why did I just say that?

"You are skilled with the sword. I don't think you just randomly stabbed me. You intentionally avoided any vital points."

Shut up, Hinata.

"You've had plenty of opportunities to kill me, but you haven't. Why not?"

Stop fucking talking!

"Is this how you always approach your enemies? By questioning them?" Itachi asks, his voice sounding slightly, just slightly, off.

I can't tell if he is annoyed or amused.

Okay. Keep your mouth shut. You've already spoken enough shit already to Itachi.

But… I just feel so compelled to speak my mind to him.

"Only to those that I know are hiding something."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

I really hope he thinks I'm implying about him avoiding my questions.

Is this a side effect to being under his genjutsu? Not being able to hold my words back? Is Itachi forcing me to say these things against my will?

"You put yourself in this position instead of my brother," Itachi finally says.

Huh? Why is he saying that?

"Yeah," I reply, startled. "And, I would do it again. The same goes for Naruto. I jumped in to protect him from your partner, even though I could've gotten hurt. Those two are my best friends. I will not allow the Akatsuki to capture Naruto nor allow you to drive Sasuke further down the path of darkness! He has enough hate for you already and already claims to be an avenger. I will support his choices and help make him stronger, if that is what he really wants. But, I don't want him to completely change and lose himself in the process and just become obsessed with trying to kill you! He has too many people that care about him for that to happen!"

Okay, Itachi has to be somehow forcing me to speak against my will because I'm not the type of person to give out random inspiring monologues like that. That's Naruto's thing.

Itachi closes his eyes. "I see."

I wait for him to say something else, but he takes a step back instead and a flock of crows appears out of nowhere and start to swirl around him. When the crows fly back up into the red sky, Itachi is no where insight. I feel my feet start to move and I begin to run after the birds, but they fade away and I find myself staring at my eight year old self. This young version of me is frozen in fear and then she points to something to her right. I look over to my side and see a young teenaged Itachi glaring down at me and my childlike self with piercing red eyes and he is tightly gripping a sword.

What the hell is going on? Where did the real Itachi go?

Suddenly, younger Hinata starts to say something to teenage Itachi, but it is incoherent. Then, she starts to scream really loud and bring her hands to her head. In a flash, teenage Itachi zooms over to younger Hinata and stabs her right through the heart. Her eyes go wide and her mouth drops open before she collapses onto the ground. As soon as she hits the ground, both she and teenage Itachi disappear… and then reappear in their original positions with young Hinata pointing at teenage Itachi and he glaring her down with his sword in his hand.

This time, he killed her by slitting her throat.

The next time, he killed her by stabbing through her eyes and into her brain.

After that, he killed her by slicing her head off.

Then, he decides to torture her at by slowly dismembering her arms and legs and finishes up the act by ripping her heart out.

And then, he decides to torture again with his Sharingan until she is clawing at her own eyes and pulling out her hair and finishes by strangling her to death.

At this point, I realize that the real Itachi is long gone and he has left me alone in this genjutsu world to watch the many different ways on how he could've killed me _that_ night if he really wanted to with the next scene even more brutal and gory than the last.

At first, I tried to avoid watching myself being killed in horrendous ways by shutting my eyes. But, I am still able to see the sequences through closed eyes. I tried to think of others things, but my mind wouldn't allow it. 100% of my attention is locked and focused on these killings. Then, I tried to whisper to myself about needlessly things, but I find myself being unable to talk.

After the forty-sixth death of younger Hinata, I feel myself start to go into full panic mode. The forty-seventh time teenage Itachi went to go and kill younger Hinata, I jump in front of her to fight him myself, but he just runs through me and finishes his deadly deed.

I can't watch this anymore. I don't want to watch this anymore. Why is he showing me this?

I want to save this girl! Why can't I save her?

Why doesn't he keeping killing her so brutally over and over again? Can he not just give her a quick death?

Why can't she go kill him instead?

No, no no. I can't take this anymore.

Please make this stop.

Make it stop!

The ninety-fourth death of watching younger Hinata die is when I fully shut down.

* * *

 _He killed her._

 _He kills her again._

 _He kills her again._

 _He kills her again._

 _He kills her again._

 _He kills her- where did they go?_

Darkness envelopes my vision and I feel myself laying on my back.

I am drained.

I have no energy. I have no feeling. I have no emotion.

I don't care about me. I don't care anybody. I don't care about anything. I don't care where I am.

"..."

"..."

What am I hearing? Are those voices?

Then, I feel something crawling through the depths of my empty void.

What is that?

The thing is walking slowly now, but I feel the steps echo.

Stop that.

Now, the thing is stomping and is starting to make everything throb.

Go away!

Pressure starts to build up around me and then a wave of continuously sharp pains emerges out of nowhere.

I yell out loud and start grasping at my head.

And the, the pain goes away… just like that.

Grabbing my head scared whatever was in my void away.

I knew it would work.

"Why did you do that to her?!"

"She's been like this for two weeks, Hiashi. I'm just trying to see if I can snap her out of it."

Hiashi… Hiashi…

Father? Is he here?

"If the medics were not able to do anything for her, what makes you think you can? I don't care if you are my father or are the previous Head to this clan. Don't you ever use that technique on my daughter again!"

"My apologies, Hiashi. I was just trying to help my granddaughter out."

Granddaughter? I have a strange feeling that I wouldn't like him calling me that.

Who is this person?

Elder-sama?

"Jiraiya-sama went off in search of Tsunade-hime. They should be back any day."

"I hope they are back soon."

The voice starts to fade away and are muffled until they are completely gone. Then, it is back to being alone in my dark empty void.

Far out in the distance, a tiny bright green light starts to twinkle. It is so far away and small, but I feel very refreshed calm just by looking at it.

"..."

More voices?

"...H…..n….t…."

I don't understand?

Suddenly, the bright green light explodes and it starts to overshadow the darkness.

I feel a spark of energy come alive inside of me and it is just enough for me to get off my back and to sit up onto my bottom.

"...Hinata….."

I look around as the green light starts to slow fizzle away, but the darkness doesn't return. Instead, I am hazily looking at the color while. But, I see other colors as I continue to look around. Yellow, blue, purple, orange, more green.

This place feels familiar.

I feel something slam into my chest and I lean back slightly as something heavy curls itself near me.

"Hinata-nee-san!" a young girl's voice cries out.

My hazy vision clears out and I blink and look down at the figure in my lap.

It is my sister, Hanabi.

Hanabi…. I haven't seen her in a long time.

I should be happy to see her, but I still feel so drained. So emotionless.

My sister gazes up at me with her large lavender eyes and tilts her head in confusion. "Nee-san? What's wrong?"

"Hanabi!" a voice says sharply causing Hanabi jump. "Be still. You're gonna hurt your sister."

That's my father. His sudden harsh voice would've normally caused me to jump along with Hanabi, but I didn't.

Hanabi bows her head. "I apologize."

She quickly climbs out of my lap and I watch her as she hurries over to my father, who is standing at the foot of my bed. Bed? I focus more on my surroundings. I am back at the hospital. So, this is why this place felt familiar. As I scan around, I see a blonde headed woman that I instantly recognize, but just haven't met in this lifetime just yet.

The upcoming Godaime Hokage, Tsunade Senju.

Wow… her boobs are even bigger in person.

I feel my eyes slightly widen as I stare at her breasts in awe, only feeling suddenly half as drained now. However, not emotionless anymore.

Tsunade narrows her eyes and snaps her fingers at me. I shake my head and just stare at her, not knowing what to say. She sighs and looks over at my father.

"Her mind has been shut down for a while so she's just not totally herself just yet," Tsunade says to him. "She also has a lot of drugs in her body so that is also affecting her emotions and mood. Although, she should be within twenty-fours so I recommend she spends another night hospital so she can be looked after."

My father nods in agreement. "I am fine with that."

I jerk my head over towards him in sudden anger.

Are you serious? I'm not fine with that at all! I want to go home!

My father narrows his eyes at me. "Hinata!"

O-oh. Did I just say that outloud?

Tsunade waves her head. "Just ignore her. Like I said, this isn't the real Hinata. You're sweet and loving daughter will be back by tomorrow."

Okay, I know I'm out of it right now and I'm on an emotional roller coaster, but even I can realize that sounded sarcastic as hell to me. Tsunade hasn't been in Konoha in a long ass time so she still has the impression that all Hyūgas are prideful and walk with a stick up their ass. I mean, she isn't necessarily wrong, but I'm gonna prove to her that I'm not like everybody else!

No, on second thought. That just sounds like too much work for me. I'm tired.

I feel my eyes start to grow heavy and I lay down on my bed. I turn onto my side so I do not have to face these people anymore and shut my eyes.

I hear Tsunade chuckle. "And, now, she's tired. I suggest we all step out and let her sleep. I want to speak with you about a few things anyways, Hiashi-sama."

Her voice trails as they all leave the room and close the door behind them. I bury my face into the pillow, trying to get all comfortable, and I am about to drift all to sleep when I snap my eyes back open.

I don't feel so tired anymore.

In fact, I really, really don't want to be in this damn hospital anymore.

I think I'll go for a walk.

I sit up and pull the blankets off of me. I turn my body, place my feet onto the floor, and go to stand up. As I stand up, my legs start to wobble and my body quivers and I have to lean against the wall to keep myself from falling. Not letting this prevent me from going on my walk, I carefully, yet clumsily, stumble over to the large window, slide it open, and jump out. I land onto the room of a building somewhere in the lower part of the hospital and I make a break for it. I slowly hop from roof to roof, ledge to ledge.

Just taking it easy and enjoying myself.

I glance up and am thankful to see the golden rays of the sun, the white wispy clouds, and the light-blue sky. Nothing upon sight is red or black. Just happy, more cheery colors.

A fresh breeze cools the air and causes my hair to briefly dance along with it. Everything was still in that world.

I hear a bird chirp, a few children laughing, and the hustle and bustle of everyday life from below. It beats hearing myself scream.

I am so self-absorbed in my surroundings and thoughts at the moment that I didn't realize I had slowed my pace down, so I didn't quite make the next jump between roofs. When I finally realize that my feet didn't make any contact with the ground, I reach my hand out towards the ledge, but it is just out of reach. I start to fall, but someone grabs my outstretched hand and yanks me up in one swift movement. I am thrown onto my bottom and I grab my chest in attempt to slow down my now racing heart.

I can't believe I almost fell just then.

"Good thing I was on my way to the hospital," my savior says in mild annoyance. "Which is where you should be right now. Why are you up here frolicking over the roofs when you should be in your hospital bed?"

I look up and notice that my savior is none other than my lazy teammate, Shikamaru.

I narrow my eyes at him and cross my arms. "I've been there too much already! I don't want to be there anymore!"

Shikamaru just stares at me for a long second before replying. "Knock it off, Hinata. You sound like a child throwing a tantrum right now."

I jump up to my feet and wobble around. "I'm fine! See? I don't need to go back."

Shikamaru arches an eyebrow. "You are far from fine." He reaches out his hand. "Come on. I'm taking you back."

I smack his hand away and glare at me.

Why can't anybody understand that I don't want to stay at the hospital?!

"I said I wasn't!" I snap. "I just want to go for a walk! Or maybe eat some real food or just go to sleep in my own bed!"

Shikamaru rubs his face. "You're a mess right now, Hinata… Tell me, did you just wake up?"

All the anger drains out of me and I shrug in confusion. "I guess you can call it that, though I feel like I've been awake for a long time now. I haven't really slept in ages it feels like."

"That's why you're acting strange," Shikamaru mumbles and then sighes. "How about this? I will take you to get some lunch in exchange for you to go back to the hospital? Does that sound reasonable enough for you?"

I feel my stomach rumble at the mentioning of lunch and I quickly nod my head yes. "Deal! I only have to stay for another twenty-four hour anyways."

Shikamaru's face twitches. "Then, why are you…. Ugh. Nevermind…. nevermind. Where do you wanna eat?"

I pump my fist into the air. "Yakiniku Q!"

Shikamaru gives me a small smile. "Atta girl."

* * *

During my lunch with Shikamaru, I learned about all the things that happened while I was supposedly out. First, Asuma finally came back around while I was chasing after Sasuke. He, Shikamaru, and Sakura had apparently came to visit just a few hours after I snuck out with the intention on telling us what happened during the fight between between the Third Hokage and Orochimaru. Well, at least to the best to his ability since a lot of things have to remain private. Since I wasn't there, he went ahead and told Shikamaru and Sakura and I would be informed later. Long story short, the battle ended with the Third Hokage almost killing the masked Anbu in the brown cloak, aka Kabuto, with a combined attack with Asuma that was meant for Orochimaru. Kabuto had gotten in the way at the last moment and he was attacked instead. Orochimaru immediately fled the scene after Kabuto got injured and that is when the Third Hokage passed out from his injuries and exhaustion and slipped into a coma. However, the Third Hokage pulled through and is alive, out of his coma, and is walking around like nothing ever happened, although he is walking with a cane now for support.

Even though I wish Orochimaru was taken down, I'm glad Kabuto was instead. It would be great if he was killed because that closes a lot of doors for the future. But, it can also open up some new ones.

Second, Jiraiya and Naruto went on a journey to bring Tsunade back, which I already knew the details to that but still listened.

Third, the rebuilding of Konoha is almost done and it has been confirmed that Konoha has lost 28% of their Shinobi during the invasion. If I can recall, they lost a hell of a lot more than that during the invasion in the anime/manga, so 28% is a still high death rate, but is better than half.

Nothing else major went on and he and Sakura tried to visit me at least once a day together, sometimes with Asuma.

After my lunch with Shikamaru, I followed him back to the hospital room as I promised. He opted to carry me and I decide to give in without an argue since I didn't want to fall again and he snuck me back in through the window. After making sure I was in my bed and wasn't tricking him, he left and I really did fall to sleep.

Now, I am just now waking up for the day and stretching, feeling 90% better. I blink slowly and bask in the mild heat of the sun rays as it filters through the window and into my room. Fall is start to come so it is best to soak up any last minute warm sun rays before the chill sets in.

Shuffling from the corner of the room breaks my train of thought and I snap my head into that direction and notice Sasuke is sitting in a chair at the side of my bed. He is leaning forward with his elbows propped on top of his knees and has fingers pressed together covering the bottom half of his face. When he notices me staring at him, he only flickers his eyes up at me and says nothing.

I don't say anything either as I study him. He looks calm and collected, but I can sense an angry vibe coming out of him. Of course he is angry with me. He has every right to be upset with me. I interrupted his fight with Itachi and then I got myself into all of this mess when it should have been him. He told me just a few weeks ago to stopping putting myself in danger for him and I didn't listen to his wishes. Even though I personally know I was helping him out in the long run, he doesn't know that so I am not going to get irritated with him if he starts to speak harshly towards me or just simply ignores me.

However, after a few minutes, I cannot stand the silence anymore so I break it by doing the one thing I hate most in the word: apologizing.

"I'm really sorry, Sasuke."

My apology seems to trigger Sasuke because he suddenly leaps out of his chair and reaches out to grab my left arm. I almost snap at him to stop because it is broken, but then I realize that I am not feeling any pain and I'm not wearing a sling anymore. It is also dawning on me that I can see with both eyes now and that I'm not wearing bandages anymore.

I must've been really out yesterday to not noticed that all of my injuries have been healed.

Sasuke starts to squeeze my arm as he makes a fist and raises it up into the air to strike at me. I close my eyes to take the hit without flinching or avoiding it, but he never hits me. I open my eyes to see he has lowered his fist, but he still has a strong grip on my arm.

"If you were Naruto, I would've bashed some damn sense into you right here and now," Sasuke says in a low and uneven voice. "But, I can't bring myself to hurt you. I could never intentionally cause you pain."

The death grip you have on my arm says otherwise, but I won't mention that.

"But, I thought I told you to stop protecting me!" he snaps, raising his voice slightly. "Especially with Itachi! You know how dangerous he is and how he is mine to handle and mine only! Yet, you go off to get in the way and you ended up in the hospital for another two damn weeks, stuck in that damn state of mind. You know how many times I came to visit only to have to be sent away because you were screaming in such pain. Such terror. Such horror. It was like you was experiencing something terrible over and over again and nobody could do anything about. I couldn't do anything about it. After the screams, everyone though you would get better. No! You only worse! You became lifeless. An empty shell.

"But, everyday. Every. Single. Day. I would train and then come see you. Train and come see you. I had to keep myself occupy in order not to go crazy or do something stupid and leave the village to track down my brother myself. The whole I was thinking 'that should've been me. That would've been me!' And, I wanted it to be! Rather me than you after hearing those screams over and over again."

He takes a deep breathe and let's go of my arm. I fight the urge to pull it back and rub the feeling back into it.

"And, now, you're apologizing to me? Like that's gonna make everything better?"

He gives me a hard look, as if he is expecting an answer from me, but I am speechless. I haven't seen Sasuke this worked up in a long time. Especially over anybody besides Itachi. Sure, some of the anger in his speech was towards Itachi and because I disrupted their fight. But, he has been worried sick over me and it shows in his face and words, no matter how angry he wants to act. I really hurt Sasuke with my actions and I never thought I would've affected him this badly.

I feel tears of guilt start to well up in my eyes, but I rapidly blink them away before they can spill over.

"I...Sasuke…" I stammer and gulp. I really don't know what to say. Sasuke is totally in the right. "I know apologizing isn't going to just make everything feel better. I just wanted to let you know that I really am sorry. I wasn't thinking clearly. It was just a very tension situation and I wanted to protect Naruto from those two. But… but when I saw your brother pinning you down like that, I got the urge to protect you once more and I followed through with it instead of remembering your words and ignoring it."

Despite being in the both right and wrong at the same time, it feels really strange to apologize to someone for protecting them from the hell you just went through for two weeks.

I give Sasuke a small smile. "But, Sasuke. That's just how I am. It isn't just with you. It is with all of my friends, family, and comrades. I am always going to want to protect and fight for the people I love. It is just my nature. I wanted to step in to protect you Sasuke, even if it meant going through what I just did. I would do it all over again as long as you didn't have to. I don't care if that sound selfish, but that is just how I feel and I understand if you don't accept it."

Sasuke's expression softens up a bit after he processes my words, but still doesn't look happy. "Well… I… In a sense, that is how I view you and Team Seven. I want to protect you guys, especially from…. him. That is why I am mainly upset. If you had done what you did for me to Orochimaru or anybody else, I still would've been upset that you took the brunt for me, but I wouldn't have gotten mad. Itachi is on a whole other level and he is mine to personally deal with. I don't want you to be getting involved in any shape or form."

I nod my head. "And, I understand that. I will just step back next time and not interfere."

Sasuke sharply shakes his head. "No. That's the thing. There won't be a next time. If you and I do somehow comes across him again together, you are getting out of there or I will force you away. I'm serious."

I bob my head up and down once more. "I promise to get away if a situation like that ever happens again, though I really hope it doesn't."

"I hope it doesn't either," Sasuke mumbles and then sighs awkwardly. "So, how are you feeling?"

I shrug. "I feel a lot better than I did yesterday and anytime before that."

Sasuke gives me a concerned look. "Do… do you want to talk about it?"

I shudder as I force myself not to think about what I witness in that world. "Not really."

"Fair enough," Sasuke says.

"Yeah," I say, glancing around the room. "Where's Naruto? I figured he would be itching to see me once he heard I was awake. I want to thank him for dragging Tsunade-sama back into Konoha to heal me and Kakashi-sensei."

"I told him I wanted to speak to you alone," Sasuke explains. "He's gonna visit you shortly." Then, something seems to dawn on him and he arches an eyebrow. "Besides, how the you know that Kakashi was out as well?"

I slightly tense up.

Shit! I guess I'm not suppose to know that. Damn myself for not being 100% better yet.

Okay, just lie like usual. You're a pro at it by now.

I casually wave my hand. "Shikamaru told me when he took me out to lunch yesterday."

This time, Sasuke raises both of his eyebrows. "He took you out to lunch yesterday when you wasn't in the right state of mine?"

Shut the fuck up, Hinata. Stop telling on yourself!

"Uh," I say lamely, nervously giggling. "About that…"

Sasuke sighes. "You know what, I don't even want to know."

Good, because I don't want to have a reputation with the medics that I am likely to sneak out of the hospital when I'm supposed to be on bedrest. I want to keep that on the down low for any future hospital trips.

I'm such a terrible patient.

 **Author's Note: Hey guys! Sorry I haven't posted in almost a month. Life happened though I am happy to say that I am 22 years old now and my goddaughter was born on my birthday!**

 **I was hesitant to write Hinata to act the way she was after she finally "woke up". But, I think the way she acted was pretty much on point because she was not mentally present for two weeks, not to forget she was trapped in Itachi's genjutsu for a portion of that time and then was alone in her "dark and empty void" for the rest of the time. Plus, she has a lot of drugs in her. So, she is gonna act strange for a little bit. At least in my opinion.**

 **Oh. Before anybody complains, for you nit pickers. no Naruto isn't stronger than Kisame just because he was able to knock him back with a wind jutsu. Kisame was just distracted with the oil on his face so Naruto took advantage of it.**

 **Anyways, I hoped you enjoy this chapter and I promise you guys that I will be posting again in just a matter of days and I will be submitting two chapters at once to make up for not posting for a month!**


	31. Chapter 31: Blank Period

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Blank Period**

 **Chapter thirty-one**

Have you ever been stuck in a genjutsu mind fuck?

No?

Good, because I do not recommend it.

Not only does the experience sucks, but the side effects linger for a long ass time afterwards.

When I first was released from the hospital, I tried to push my experience in the Tsukuyomi to the back of my mind like I do with any other bad memory. Later that first night after I had already fallen asleep, I immediately starting have nightmares about the exact same scenes that I witnessed: a teenage version of Itachi torturing and killing a younger version of me repeatedly and in different ways. I woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of my screams and, what seemed like, half the clan standing in my room.

That was a very embarrassing moment and my father soundproofed my room the very next day after I explained the reason for my screams.

Three weeks later and I am still have the same recurring nightmares, but I don't scream anymore. It is basically like I'm re entering the Tsukuyomi world every night and I haven't figured out a way to stop it. I've tried everything from trying to think happy thoughts before falling asleep to meditating. For a short period of time, I tried to avoid sleeping as much as I can, but that wasn't a very wise thing for me to do when I have to train and perform missions everyday.

Now, I just suck it up and go along with it, but I dread going to sleep every night.

While I am not having nightmares, I have been training everyday. Since the moment I was cleared to leave that damned hospital, I instantly jumped by into my daily training routines. My father warned me to take it easy the first couple of days since I've basically been chilling around the hospital for a month now so my body just needs to get back into the habit of constantly moving. He was correct and my body felt rusty and out of shape the first two days, but then it quickly got back into the swing of things.

I haven't only been training alone or with my father. I've been training with Team Ten almost everyday these past three weeks. Asuma has taught us a couple of new formations and we brushed up on our old ones. We've also taken on seven D-rank missions and C-rank mission during the three week time frame. The C-rank mission wasn't as scandalous as the first one we went on, even though that one got bumped to an A rank mission. The C-rank mission was an overnight as the only thing we had to do was patrol the borders of Konoha. At the time, I was really hoping we would get to fight some thugs or bandits, anything to just prove to myself that I didn't get weaker during my stay at the hospital. But, nothing happened.

Since the Chunin Exams are now over and everybody has to get back to the old grind of things, Team Ten has had a day off so I haven't been able to see Naruto or Sasuke that much. To be honest, I haven't really seen them since I left the hospital. Naruto was very ecstatic to have me feeling better again and had even took me out to eat ramen… until he realized he had forgotten his wallet so I had to pay. But, I enjoyed my time with him so I didn't mind since he had good intentions to start with. Sasuke and I are back to being good friends again after our little tiff at the hospital. Though, I have the strange feeling that he secretly resents me to an extend because I disrupted his fight with Itachi. Or maybe I'm just feeling paranoid because this is around the time that Sasuke originally starts to do a lot of thinking about wanting to seek more power for his avenger needs. But, he's in the village so I'm pretty sure I'm worrying for no reason.

Even though nothing exciting has really happened these past few weeks, I am actually grateful for that. My life over these past couple of months has been really busy and hectic and I feel everytime I turn around that something is going on. I've enjoyed this short time of peace with myself and Team Ten.

However, today, my life starts to grow a little interesting again.

"Hey, Kō ?" I say as I peek my head into his room and knock on the open door.

The guards at the gate had informed me that Kō wanted me to find him when I returned home.

"Good afternoon, Hinata-sama," Kō greets me with a friendly smile as I walk into his room. "How was your training today?"

I shrug. "Same old. Same old. Though, I did go on a mission today that involved babysitting those triplet brats again. Their mother always wants us as their babysitter because her sons supposedly just love us. But, guess what? She's pregnant… with twins! That just means more kids for us to watch when they are born!"

Kō chuckles. "Well, at least you only have to watch them every once in awhile. She has to be around all of those kids every single day."

"That's true. So, I was told you wanted to see me?"

Kō nods and hands me a scroll that is laying on his desk. "I was told to give this to you. I didn't open it, but I am pretty sure it is from the Hokage herself."

Oh, yeah. Tsunade is the new Hokage now, as expected. The Third Hokage officially retired the position to her since he is crippled now from his fight with Orochimaru and has to walk around with a walking stick. It is a pitiful sight to see, but it was about time the old man retired. He needs to live out the rest of his days in peace and without the stress that comes with being a leader of a Shinobi village. Even though he is walking around with a cane, he is still active through the village and shows his face.

But, I wonder what Tsunade wants with me?

I take the scroll from my bodyguard and unravel it.

 _To be only read and seen by Hyūga Hinata,_

 _I would like for you to come by my office this evening around six. I'm sorry if this inconveniences you in anyways, but I have something important that I need to discuss with you._

 _-Tsunade_

Well, that note was a little informal coming from the Hokage herself. Though, I guess being formal and stiff was never her forte. Being one of Naruto's closest friends must make her think she can be casual with me. I bet Naruto already told her that I wasn't you typical stick-up-the-ass Hyūga, especially for being the heiress and Hiashi's daughter, and that I really hate the formalities that are constantly thrown at me in my everyday life.

Or, she's just like that with everybody.

But, I wonder what she wants to speak with me about? I can't think of anything other than the Itachi incident and a report has already been sent in about that.

"May I ask what that scroll is about?" Kō curiously asks as I roll up the scroll.

"Hokage-sama just wants me to swing by her office around six," I tell him. "Which means I probably should take a shower and look decent since it is already four."

"That sounds like a good idea," Kō says. "I wonder why you are being summoned?"

I give him a mock mischievous look as I rub my chin. "Maybe she found out about that little thing I did the other day…"

Kō widens his eyes. "Hinata-sama, did you do something that you weren't suppose to do?"

I shrug. "I dunno. I'll find out and see!"

I give him a playful wink and hurry out of the room just as he sputters out, "H-Hinata-sama!"

Poor, Kō. It is fun to give him a hard time every now and then.

As I dry off from my shower, I gaze into the mirror and run my fingers through my damp hair. A lot of people within my clan have really long hair and I can see why now. Our hair just grows too damn fast. It must be a Hyūga thing because my hair is down just slightly past my chin now within just a few months since my last trim. And, mind you, my hair used to be right above my ears because I wanted to keep my hair very short like the original Hinata so it wouldn't get in the way. This length of hair hasn't bother me just yet, since I am now really noticing it, and I think I look kind of cute with it.

Maybe I'll keep it at this length, but not any longer.

After I get ready, I throw on a light jacket to protect myself from the crisp air and head off to the Hokage's office. When I arrive, I take a deep breathe and proceed to knock on the door.

Last time I was hear, I was basically interrogated by Danzō and the other two old bitties. The Third Hokage was nice to me, but the overall experience was nerve wracking and tense.

I hope this visit goes a lot more differently.

"You may enter!" I hear Tsunade's voice call out from beyond the door.

I walk into the office, closing the door behind me. I look around and notice that the only other people in the room, besides me, are some of the proctors from the Chunin Exam, Shikamaru, Asuma, Naruto, Kakashi, the Third Hokage, Shizune, and Tsunade.

Actually, that's a lot of people and I kind of have an idea now as to what is going on. My heart excitedly skips a beat even though I, myself, start to grow hesitant.

Am I really ready to become a Chunin?

"You're late, Hinata-chan!" Naruto says to me. "We've been waiting on you!"

I squint my eyes at him and am about to give him a sarcastic remark, but I realize that some important people are in the room with me. So, I just give him an apologetic shrug and walk over to Asuma and Shikamaru.

Tsunade sighs. "Knock it off, Naruto. She's actually early. It isn't her fault you and your sensei was early for once."

Naruto just frowns at the new Hokage, Kakashi blinks innocently at her, and I resist the urge to smirk.

That is exactly what I was going to say! Maybe Tsunade and I will get along very well.

"May I ask why we are all here?" I question her politely.

Tsunade nods. "Since everyone is here now, I don't see why not." She clears her throat. "From what I heard, the Third Test of the Chunin Exams was suspended. The three of you only got to fight one match, Naruto's opponent withdraw during his match, and Uchiha Sasuke didn't even get to participate in his. Despite what you were told, a Kage and the Chunin Exam Proctors preferably likes to watch as many matches as they can before determining if a Genin has the skills and capabilities to get promoted to a Chunin. Just from that alone, I would say that none of you should get promoted. Since that wasn't the case this time around, you three were evaluated based on the one match you fought in. It was determined by the Sandaime Hokage, by the proctors, and those who observed the matches that you three does have what it takes to become a Chunin. Since my opinion really doesn't matter in this case, from this day forth, I hope you will strive to achieve a level of excellent worthy of that headband." She smiles. "Congratulations, Hyūga Hinata, Nara Shikamaru, and Uzumaki Naruto, you now all stand as a Chunin!"

Behind Tsunade, the Third Hokage, Shizune, and the rest of the Chunin protectors all applaud at our new promotion and congratulate us personally as Kakashi ruffles Naruto's hair and Asuma places his hands on mine and Shikamaru's shoulders and grins at us. From all of the excitement and hearing the news, Naruto breaks out into a happy dance and starts cheering, Shikamaru appears shocked, and I just stand there with a giddy smile plastered on my face.

I had a feeling Tsunade was going to promote the three of us to Chunin and I really didn't know how I was going to react until now. Before, I kept telling myself that I wasn't ready to become a Chunin and I was thinking about refusing the promotion if I received one. Now, I'm feeling very accomplished and proud of myself that I became a Chunin this early in my Shinobi career and my gut is telling me that I have the right to be happy and excited because I deserve this promotion.

I bow towards everyone. "Thank you so much for this promotion."

Naruto and Shikamaru break out of their reactions and follow my lead so they don't come across as rude.

"Thank you."

"Yeah! Thank you, Baa-chan. I promise to not let you all down by giving me this promotion!"

Tsunade narrows her eyes. "I'm about to take that promotion from you if you call me by that name one more time."

Naruto gulps. "Er, sorry, Baa-ack! I mean, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade gives him a nicer look. "Much better."

Now that I'm thinking about it, why did Naruto get promoted? Originally, he wasn't even considered for a promotion even though he won his match against Neji and he saved the village from Gaara. This time around, the only reason he won his match is because Temari withdraw, but he still did save the village from Gaara's wrath.

I wonder if I should ask? Would that embarrass or upset Naruto?

Maybe I should the next time I'm alone with Tsunade.

I watch as Shizune grabs three articles of clothing from somewhere below Tsunade's desk, walks around said desk, and hands us each a flak jacket.

"Alright, cool!" Naruto squeals as he snatches his and instantly puts in on. It fits perfectly on him and Naruto beams with joy.

Shikamaru grabs his with much less enthusiasm and slides it on. It is slightly big on him, but he will grow into it. The boy's kind of scrawny anyways so maybe I'll just force some food down his throat to make him fit into it.

I receive mine and try it on. It fits pretty good and I like that it has a lot of inside pockets to hide things.

"Alright, you two," Asuma says to Shikamaru and I. "This calls for a celebratory dinner at Yakiniku Q. My treat!"

Yay! BBQ!

"Actually, Hinata will meet you there," Tsunade pipes up. "I need to speak with her, alone, for just a moment."

Wait, why? I really want to eat some garlic bbq now!

"Oh, okay," Asuma replies as he and Shikamaru head towards the door. "We'll go by and grab Sakura and meet you there."

As soon as they leave, Kakashi drags Naruto out with them and then everyone else leaves shortly after instead of Shizune and the Third Hokage. Just as the last person walks out of the office and closes the door behind them, the excitement in the room drops and the atmosphere tenses slightly. I try not to fidget nervously as I wait for someone to speak.

"Hinata," Tsunade says in a more official tone. "How would you feel if I told you that a few recommendations were made to promote you as a Jonin and just skip the status as a Chunin?"

I blink.

Did I just hear her correctly?

"Seriously?" I reply lamely. "I mean, obviously I'm very surprised. Personally, I don't believe I have the skills, knowledge, or experience to even become a Jonin yet."

Much less than a Chunin, but skills and power seem to override experience in this world.

"You are correct, to an extent," the Third Hokage suddenly tells me as he hobbles a few steps forward. "While you may not have the skills or experience yet, I would say that you do have the intelligence and knowledge to become one. I, and others, have seen those two prospects of you shine during your everyday life, during the Academy, during your training sessions, during your missions, and during the Chunin Exams."

Okay, I really don't like hearing that. It sounds like people throughout the village have been observing me from the far and paying too much attention to me. Or, like always, I'm just overthinking things.

"Hinata," the Third Hokage continues. "What proved to a lot of people even more that you have many traits as those of a Jonin was your actions during the Final Exam, right before the invasion started. You was able to prevent a lot of people from getting killed that day and almost all of the civilians attending the Exams that day were able to seek refuge."

Okay, now there are just giving me too much credit without realizing it. I knew the invasion was going to happen.

"But, I kind of figured it out by accident," I lie. "I was just merely searching for my father throughout the crowds with my Byakugan when I spotted the enemy undercover."

The Third Hokage gives me a small smile. "I already know about that, but I'm not referring to that, anyways. I'm talking about how you handled the situation. Most Genin would've either not told anyone, tried to take down the enemy themselves without thinking, or freaked out and cause mass hysteria, which would've alerted the enemy that we know of their presence. Instead of doing any of things things, you quickly assessed the situation, came up with a good enough plan for the time being, and proceeded with caution. By doing that, you were able to take down one of Orochimaru's henchmen in disguise and able to warn two elite Shinobi of what is going on."

"But, Shikamaru helped me out," I comment. "It wasn't just all my doing."

Tsunade sighs. "Will you stop downplaying yourself, girl? There is a time and place to be humble, but just listen to the Sandaime Hokage's words and stop making it seem like you didn't do anything stellar. From what I've heard, your action were remarkable. Your plan was highly thought out for a Genin and your ability to improvise detailed and successful plans on the spot is amazing. I know your other teammates are considered geniuses, especially the Nara, but I would say that you are on a whole nother level than they are and you need to realize that."

But, my plans aren't always successful.

But, they are most of the time.

But, Shikamaru is able to come up with just as good of plans as I can.

But, not as quick as you can.

But, Sakura is able to recall a random fact from a book she read once on the spot.

But, being booksmart is useless on the battlefield where you excel in combat.

I do have a lot of things going for me and I really do need to stop downplaying my abilities and doubting myself. I just become a Chunin after just four months of graduating from the Academy, I completed an A-rank mission while I was a Genin, I am a beast when it comes to taijutsu, and I am a very good defensive fighter. Also, I'm a Hyūga and the heiress to our clan. I have the right to think highly of myself every now and then.

I give them all a prideful smirk. "You're right. I shouldn't be so humble all the time. I know what I'm good at and what I need to work on."

Tsunade smirks back. "Good."

"But," the Third Hokage says, hinting that he wasn't done. "Like you said, you don't have the skills or experience to skip the Chunin promotion and go straight to a Jonin so those requests were obviously denied. However, within the next couple of years, I can see receiving another promotion if you continue to do what you are doing and working hard." I am about to bow and thank him for his kind word when he holds up a hand and I pause. "Hinata, have you ever thought about what you want to do in the future?"

I give him a puzzled look. "What do you mean? I've always seen myself becoming the Head of the Hyūga clan since I am the heiress."

The Third Hokage chuckles. "I should've expected that answer from you since it is the most obvious one. However, you won't uphold that position for at least another decade or so. That means, you have a long span of time to do something else until you become the leader of the Hyūgas. I'm speaking of striving towards becoming a Jonin and making having your own squad one day, working in a certain field or department within Konoha, or maybe even becoming an Anbu Black Op?"

I arch an eyebrow. "An Anbu Black Op?"

Shouldn't I be talking about career options with a career counselor or maybe with my sensei or father and not with the Third Hokage? Something tells me that he is trying to get out something and he is beating around the bush.

The Third Hokage nods. "Yes. You would be the perfect candidate to become one if you ever chose to be. You are very quick, you have perfect chakra control, your ambushing and espionage skills are above average, your ability to kill without mercy or becoming emotional has always been noted, and you possess the Byakugan. Basically, having a Hyūga on the Anbu Black Op force is always a good choice because you can easily track enemies or items down with your eyes, move in and out on an opponent with your Gentle Fist Art, and your ability to manipulate chakra the way your clansmen is useful."

So, basically, I'm being encouraged to be used as a tool for Konoha. No, thank you.

I mean, I'm pretty sure many Shinobi who became an Anbu do not see themselves as a tool and instead just serving the village like any other Shinobi and wanting to protect the village they loves.

But, I don't see it that way. They are just tools and waste their lives being controlled on the sidelines until they are not useful anymore or they get killed and then someone just as talented as they are replaces them in a heartbeat.

Shinobi are always replaceable, especially within that field.

But, maybe I'm just describing Root. Maybe the true Anbu Black Ops force is nothing like that. However, I will stand by my thoughts until I am ever proven otherwise. And, no, I will never be proven wrong by me becoming an Anbu to see for myself.

Anyways, I wonder why the Fifth and Third Hokage wanted to talk to me alone about this. This conversation would've been perfectly fine in front of the others, but maybe they didn't want to make Naruto and Shikamaru jealous that a few people recommended me as Jonin material.

Well, Shikamaru wouldn't get upset, but I know Naruto would.

Plus, I wonder if they are going to have similar talks with Naruto and Shikamaru. Or, maybe not. Shikamaru wouldn't know what he wanted to do with his life just yet and probably disregard all of the options that are suggested to him. And, everybody already knows Naruto wants to, is going to, become Hokage one of these days so that person is a moot point.

I bow towards the Third Hokage. "I will consider these options for the future."

The Third Hokage nods. "Certainly, though you are free to choose whatever path you may like. These are just some options that we know you would excel in." He glances over at Tsunade. "I am finished with her unless you have anything else to add."

Tsunade shakes her head. "Nope. You are dismissed."

I bow once more, thanked them for their time, and for the promotion once more, and quickly make my way to Yakiniku Q. When I enter the eating establishment, the host instantly recognizes from my one to many visits here and escorts me to Asuma's booth.

"Hi, guys," I greet as I slide into the booth next to Sakura. I gaze down at the brazier and notice that some steamy hot garlic bbq is waiting on me to eat them. "Awh, great! You guys are the best!"

I grab a plate and start to gather up the tasty meats.

"Now that everybody is here, let's propose a toast to Hinata and Shikamaru for becoming Chunin!" Asuma says to all of us.

He picks up his bottle of sake as the three of us pick up our glasses of water and we cling them all together with a "cheers" and down our drinks.

Sakura sets her glass down and wipes her mouth. "You two just look so odd in those flak jackets. Not in a bad way, of course! I'm just going to have to get used to you two wearing it."

She gives the two of us a smile. I know she is happy for us and proud of us, but that smile she is giving us right now is faker than hell. Remember, I am very good at reading people and I can bet my new flak jacket that she is upset, even if it is just a little bit, that she didn't make it as a Chunin like her teammates. And, I don't blame her for feeling like that. She's the only Genin of Team Ten now and will have to repeat the whole Chunin Exams all over again if she wants to become a Chunin. Sakura already questioned herself as a Shinobi before this and I hope our promotions doesn't hinder her views on herself even more.

"I'm going to have to get used to it," I say back with a chuckle. "Shikamaru and I have some big shoes to fill now."

"Don't remind me," Shikamaru grumbles, resting his head on his hands. "It just means more work for me."

"Ugh, Shikamaru! You really need to stop thinking that way," Sakura scolds. "You're a Chunin now so you need to start taking things more seriously!"

Shikamaru rolls his eyes. "You're so troublesome. Why do you always have to act and sound like my mom?"

Sakura's eyebrows twitch. "Why do you always compare me to her?"

"Now, now, children," Asuma says without much attempt to really stop their bickering. "Settle down and enjoy this food before Hinata eats it all."

I glance up from my empty plate as I am caught going for seconds and narrow my eyes at Asuma. "I was going to share half of it with you while they were arguing, but now it's all mine."

"You know, that's not even fair," Asuma protests.

Sakura giggles as Shikamaru just leans back with a jovial smirk on his face.

* * *

Later that night before I went to bed, I decide to pay a visit to my father in his office. He had requested that no one bother him for the day, but it is getting late and I really want to show off my new jacket to him. I walk into his office without knocking, like usual, and he averts his eyes up from his notes.

"Yes, Hinata?" he asks with an arched eyebrow.

I grin at him and pull out the flak jacket from behind my back. "I did it! I got promoted to a Chunin earlier today!"

My father sets down the papers he was holding and nods in approval. "That is great, my daughter. Congratulations." He smiles. "I am very proud of you."

"Thank you," I say as I drape the jacket over my shoulder. "I'm gonna start wearing this thing everyday!"

"You should," my father agrees. "It proves that you are showing pride to your new ranking."

"How come you don't wear yours, father?" I question. "You are considered a Jonin and most of the Jonin, and Chunin, wear their flak jackets around the village, even when they are not on duty."

"I still own my jacket," my father tells me. "I'm just not as active of a Shinobi as the others you mentioned. Why I am dedicated to my village, I have just put more time into raising you and Hanabi and looking after our clan since I became the Head. It is a lot of work so I am not able to go on as much missions like your squad leader for instant. On the occasion I do have to wear it, I wear it with pride just like you will."

I tilt my head. "So, when I become the Head, I won't be going on anymore missions?"

My father shakes his head. "Actually, that is all up to you. I just personally chose to not be assigned anymore missions unless it is necessary. If you want to continue to take on missions when you become the leader, you can. However, it won't be as often as you are used to."

"Okay, I understand now," I tell him. "Well, good. I like going on missions, seeing the world, and meeting new people."

My father chuckles. "I thought like that at your age. Though, once you get older, you tend to want to settle down and try to live a more peaceful life."

I don't really think there is such a thing as living a truly peaceful life in this universe, but whatever.

"Speaking of me getting older, the Godaime and Sandaime Hokage spoke to me briefly about my future," I inform my father. "They suggested some options for me based off my skills and intelligence."

My father raises his eyebrows. "You appear strange. Did you not like what they suggested?"

"No… I'm just indifferent about their choices, I guess. And, I'm feeling a little confused. I have just been curious as to why they wanted to have a chat about something like that to me alone."

My father narrows his eyes. "If they spoke to you alone, should you even be discussing the conversation to me right now?"

I shrug. "I mean, they didn't tell me I couldn't. That is what confuses me. But, maybe it isn't a big deal."

My father casually crosses his arms. "It most likely is not. They probably just see a lot of potential in your and are just curious to see what you want to do in the future. What did they suggest to you, by the way?"

"It wasn't a long list of things. They just talked about the possibility of me becoming a Jonin within a couple of years and maybe I should look into getting my own team. Or working in some department within Konoha or joining the Anbu Black Op forces."

"You speak as if these suggestions aren't important," my father says. "If there is already talk about you becoming a Jonin, then I think you should increase your training regime. I don't want to pressure you into choosing a career path right this very second, but striving towards the ranking of a Jonin is something you should probably look into."

Ha. That's my father for you. He's only impressed with something for a short while before he pushes for bigger and better things. But, that's where I get my strong work ethic and self-discipline from so I shouldn't complain too much about him.

"I was already considering doing so," I admit. "I'm just going to have to think of something."

"I'm always here if you need my guidance. And, if I am busy, Kō is always more than happy to assist you. He just recently became a Jonin, you know."

Kō is a Jonin, now? Maybe I could start using him as sparring partner instead of my father or a dummy. I haven't trained with Neji in years and I think Kō won't be as strict or frustrating as my father when it comes to training.

"I'll keep all of that in mind," I tell my father. "Thank you."

My father nods and glances back down at his papers. "If you have nothing else to say, you may be dismissed. I have a lot of work to do."

"Alright," I say as I step into the hallway. "Goodnight, Otou-san."

My father doesn't look back up at me, but he half smiles. "Goodnight, Hinata."

* * *

"Before you go, Hinata," Shikamaru begins as he stops me from leaving our training session for the day. We have no missions scheduled for today, so we have the rest of the day off. "I just want to tell you that my mom wants to invite you and Naruto over to my house tonight for a celebratory dinner because we made Chunin."

I shrug. "I mean, I don't mind coming. I'll never turn down an invitation towards someone that is offering me free food, but we just had a celebratory dinner last night."

Shikamaru crosses his arms. "That's what I told my mom, but she insists on having you two over. Says she wants to get to know my friends more other than Chouji. I invited Sakura to come since she is part of our team, but she already has plans to go out with her parents for dinner."

"Well, like I said, I don't mind going and I highly doubt Naruto will either," I tell him.

Shikamaru nods. "Good, because my mom bugged me to know what yours and Naruto's favorite dishes to eat were. So, she would probably get upset if you guys didn't come and then I would have to hear it all night."

"Since we are done for the day, I'll scope out Naruto and tell him," I say. "What time should we be there?"

"My mom told me that we will be eating dinner at six-thirty, so I say arrive between six to six-fifteen."

I nod. "Gotcha. And, I promise not to be late so your mother doesn't become a drag to you."

Shikamaru rolls his eyes. "Thanks. Best friend of the year award goes to you."

My ears perk up at that.

Hmm, does he see me as his best friend? I can't tell since he's being a sarcastic asshole like usual.

"Keep up the attitude and Naruto and I won't show up at all," I tease.

Shikamaru yawns. "You don't scare me. Well, I'm heading off now to take a nap. See you later."

He throws up a hand and walks off and I go in the other direction in search of Naruto. Before leaving the Training Grounds, I activate my Byakugan and spread out my vision to the Third Training Ground. I do not find him there so I wonder off. Since Naruto's apartment is the closest, I decide to check there first. After a few knocks on his door, he doesn't answer so I wander off to Ichiraku Ramen. Even though it is already two, he could be helping himself to a late lunch. When I enter the restaurant, he is nowhere in sight. I ask the owner if Naruto has been there today and he answers that he was here two hours ago.

Now, I'm stumped. Those are really the only three places Naruto hangs out at. He hangs out at Sasuke's apartment occasionally, but I don't think he'll be there at this time of day. And, from what I've picked up on Naruto's schedule, they usually don't start training until mid-morning, stop for lunch, and then continue on training or take on a mission until the late afternoon. My team starts training early in the morning so we are usually done with out day in the early afternoon. But, I didn't see Team Seven at the Third Training Ground, so maybe they are on a mission?

Well, whatever. I'll just swing by Naruto's place around five and drag him to the dinner whether he wants to go or not.

When I arrive back at the compound, by a stroke of luck, Naruto is casually leaning against the wall that surrounds the compound, aways from the gate. He seems to sense my presence as he looks up from the picture he is holding in his hand and waves at me.

"Hinata!" he greets as he rushes over to me with a smile.

"I've been looking all over the place for you and you've been here this whole time?" I ask, slightly annoyed.

Naruto obliviously nods. "Well, not the whole time. I actually just arrived about ten minutes ago. I heard you knocking on the door, but I was in the bathroom. I hurried up to reach the door, but nobody was there. I looked over the railing to see you walking away on the street so I assumed you must've been wanting to visit me." He scratches the back of his head. "Then… I realize I was only in my boxers with my pants down so I ran back inside to change."

Okay, I'm just going to pretend he just didn't say that.

"I'm glad you're here, then," I say. "I was just wanting to inform you that Shikamaru's mother is inviting us over to dinner tonight to celebrate us becoming Chunin."

Naruto arches an eyebrow. "Really? That's weird. I've never even met his parents before and I'm invited to his house?"

This is when the guilt hits any normal person with a heart and if they knew how shunned and hated Naruto was by most of the villagers. He's never been invited by a friend's parent before to hang out at their house, let alone have dinner with them, so this must all be new to him.

"You've meant Shikamaru's father before," I remind him.

"The guy was very drunk. I don't think he remembers anything from that night, much less me."

"Well, you've been invited and I am going so that's mean you are as well," I tell him.

Naruto's eyes slightly widen. "Wait, why do I have to go?"

I shrug. "Why wouldn't you want to go? You're being offered free food."

Naruto lowers his eyes. "Yeah, but… I've never been invited over to a friend's house before for dinner whose parents are around."

I blink.

He's that hesitate to go, huh?

I take a step forward and place my hands on his shoulders. "Naruto, if Shikamaru's parents are inviting you to dinner, I highly doubt it means they hate you. Nor do I think it is some plot to rear them into their house only to try to harm you in someway. Shikamaru is our friend and he wouldn't allow anything like that to happen. Plus, I'll be with you and I'll be the first person to kick anybody's butt if they try to hurt you."

Naruto gives me a sad smile. "Heh, sorry. It may seem stupid that I'm getting nervous over a situation that is considered normal to other people, but…"

I tighten my grip."I understand, Naruto. It isn't stupid and you don't have to explain yourself."

Naruto nods. "Thanks, Hinata. You're always looking after me."

I pull back and cross my arms. "Well, you are Konoha's Number One Most Unpredictable Shinobi. You always keep me on my toes and I worry about you constantly so I kind of have to look after you."

Naruto waves a hand. "Oh, come on. I'm not that bad."

"How many times during the Academy did I have to prevent you from pulling a prank just so you wouldn't get another detention?"

"How many times did you give in and help me set up such pranks that I took full responsibility for?"

I clicked my tounge in response, but I know he's right. I _might_ have helped out just a _few_ times with his pranks because some of them were funny to set up and watch unfold.

"We have to be at Shikamaru's place around six to six-fifteen so I will just meet you at your apartment around five-thirty so we can head off together."

"Gotcha," Naruto says. Then, he holds up his picture. "Oh, I wanted to show you this before I left. Do you know that actress, Fujikaze Yukie?"

I shrug. "Not really. I don't really watch much tv or movies, but what about her?"

"Humph. Now, you can't get excited with me," Naruto mumbles. "Anyways, she's known for her role as Princess Fūn and I got her to take a picture with me and autograph it on the mission I just got back from!"

I lean in to study the picture in his hand. I see a beautiful dark-haired woman bending over to kiss an unconscious and bandaged Naruto, who appears to be lying on a hospital bed. In the bottom right corner of the picture is a signature with her name and a small thank you message on with a little heart at the end.

"It doesn't look like to me that you got her to take a picture with you," I tease. "It looks like she felt bad that you were beaten up and took the picture with you."

Naruto recoils the picture back and pouts. "You don't know that. You weren't there."

If I can recall correctly, I believe this is the mission where they went to Yuki no Kuni to protect some princess or something like that. Maybe that's why I haven't seen him or Sasuke in the past three weeks.

Humph, that's mean he has one more A-rank mission over me as Genin before becoming a Chunin.

* * *

A few hours later, I am knocking on Naruto's apartment door. It swings open and he greets me with a smile, but that slowly fades away into a confused frown as he looks at me up and down.

"Are we supposed to be dressing up?" He widens his eyes in panic and grabs his head. "Crap! I didn't know it was a formal thing! I gotta go change!"

He spins around, but I grab him by the collar and yank him backwards.

"What you are wearing is fine," I tell him. "My father insisted I dress nicer than I usually do so I settled for my casual red dress."

Naruto wipes his forehead in relief. "Oh, good! I was wondering why you were dressed as a girl. I'm so used to seeing you in your training gear."

My eyebrow twitches.

"My training gear is meant for girls."

Naruto arches an eyebrow. "I mean, I can see what you mean because of your shorts and stockings. But, it just doesn't scream girl like Sakura's, Ino's, or Tenten's outfit."

I'm going to make Naruto scream like a girl if he doesn't shut up.

I sigh. "I'm going to totally ignore the fact that you basically see me as a boy."

Naruto gives me a flustered look. "What?! No! I-"

I let go of his collar and turn to walk away. "Let's go! We don't want to be late."

Naruto slams the door and chases after me. "Wait, Hinata!"

I wave my hand. "Hush, hush. I said I would ignore it. Just be glad I'm a nice person."

Naruto nods. "Yeah. If you were Ino, she would've clobbered me into another life by now."

I shift my eyes overs to him. "I'm talking about me, not Ino. If I wasn't the nice and sweet Hinata that you've come to know and love, I could've smacked you once with my Gentle Fist and do who knows what to the insides of your body."

Naruto's eyes go wide and he shudders. "Urk! Um, you're awesome the way you are, Hinata, and don't every change who you are!... Seriously. Please don't."

I playfully roll my eyes. "You're such a goofball."

We casually chat about random things until we finally reach Shikamaru's house in the Nara compound. The Nara compound is one of those places in the village that is a little annoying to visit because it is located near the Training Grounds, which is a good walks away from the heart of the village. I can understand a little as to why Shikamaru is so lazy. He would rather just stay home and do nothing then travel for a billion miles just to reach civilization. At least the Nara compound is surrounded by a forest and it's beautiful nature so I don't believe one second that it is a terrible place to live.

"Don't be nervous," I say to Naruto as we approach the door. "Eating with Shikamaru's family is going to be like eating dinner with Sasuke and I at your apartment. Just be your fun-loving self, but with a dash of formality."

Naruto blinks. "Formality?"

"Mhmm. Just follow my lead if you start to feel awkward."

Naruto nods and I reach out to knock on the door. It opens up a few seconds later and Shikamaru emerges from the other side.

"You guys made it," Shikamaru greets us in a monotoned voice.

Naruto crosses his arm. "Gee, Shikamaru. I feel so welcomed. What a great way to treat your guests."

"Oh, shut up," Shikamaru says. "I was just secretly wishing you two wouldn't show up."

I raise an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

Shikamaru sighs. "Mom has been freaking out about this dinner all day. She wants everything to be perfect since this is a celebratory dinner and you two have never been inside of my house before. In other words, she's in a pretty uptight and aggressive mood right now."

"I heard that, Shikamaru!" his mother shouts from inside. "Stop complaining and invite our guests inside! I bet it is a little chilly out there!"

Shikamaru cringes. "See what I mean?"

"She sounds… lovely," Naruto mumbles as we walk in.

Shikamaru leads us into the living area where we find Shikaku bending over a shōgi board. He appears very engrossed.

"Dad. We have company," Shikamaru calls out,

"Hmm?" Shikaku says, breaking out of his thoughts. He gets up. "Oh, good. You're all here. That means we can finally eat!"

The first time Naruto and I met Shikaku, he was drunk out of his mind. This is the second time we are meeting him and he's glad that we're _finally_ here. This Shikaku is not what I had in mind when I think of Shikamaru's father.

Shikaku walks over to us and nods. "It is nice to meet you two. Hinata. Naruto."

Okay, so maybe he does have manners. Speaking of manners, would it be rude of me to point out that he's met us before when he was drunk?

I bow. "It is nice to meet you, too, Nara-san."

Naruto just stands there, gaping at Shikaku, and I clear my throat towards him. He quickly follows my lead and mimics my words. I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Naruto seemed so genuinely shocked just then that Shikamaru's father pleasantly greeting him without a sneer or by kicking him out.

"Now, there's no need to be so formal," Shikaku tells us. "You can just call me by my name."

"Yes, Shikaku-san," Naruto and I say very politely.

Shikaku sighs. "Okay, you two really don't have to act like this. Shikamaru has told me all about you guys so I kind of already know how the two of you act in your everyday lives." He looks at Naruto. "You're outgoing, friendly, and loud." He glances over at me. "You're sarcastic, playful, and kind. The two of you are always so troublesome, according to my son, but he continues to hang around you guys so he must see something appealing about the two of you."

Naruto and I exchange glances and then we shift our eyes over to Shikamaru, who is finding the ceiling so interesting all of a sudden.

"Shikamaru finds us troublesome, huh?" I repeat. "I guess he thinks he's just a peach then. It never bothers me when he sneaks off to take a nap in the middle of a training session or hear him complain on average of seventy-three times a day."

Shikamaru snaps his head up at me. "You count?"

I wave my hand nonchalantly. "It isn't always me. Sometimes it is Sakura. Sometimes it is Asuma-sensei. We occasionally make bets on how many times a day you'll complain and I usually win."

Shikamaru's eyebrow twitches and his father cracks a smirk.

"I see," Shikaku says. "Maybe I should start teaching Shikamaru to take his training more seriously now that he's a Chunin…"

Shikamaru groans. "Seriously, dad? Great, look what've you done, Hinata."

I just shrug as Naruto bursts out laughing. "You two remind of teme and I when we bicker!"

I shoot my hand up in the air. "I call being Naruto!"

Shikamaru sighs. "Don't compare me to Sasuke."

Naruto raises his eyebrows. "Why not? Isn't he supposed to be considered "cool" and "talented"? Do you not think you're either of those things."

Shikamaru glances at his father. "See what you started?"

Shikaku shakes his head. "I don't know what you're talking about, son."

Just then, Shikamaru's mom pops her head into the living room to save her husband from being further questioned. "Dinner is ready, everybody."

Naruto sniffs his nose in the air. "Do I… Do I smell miso ramen with extra pork, garlic bbq, and grilled mackerel?"

Wow. Naruto has one hell of a nose.

Shikamaru's mother blinks. "Um, yes. Yes you do. I had asked Shikamaru what yours and Hinata's favorite dishes are and decided to cook them tonight."

Naruto rubs his hands together. "Alright! Dinner sounds good tonight!"

Shikamaru's mother arches an eyebrow, but she chuckles. "Well, let's get in here and eat if you're that excited."

We enter the dining room and find each chair has a plate or a bowl of food in front of it. There is one bowl of ramen, one plate of garlic bbq, one plate of grilled mackerel, and two plates with a little bit of everything on them. We all go and sit down in our obvious assigned seat and I wait for permission to eat. But, nobody gives a signal and Shikamaru and his parents start eating their food as Naruto and I watch them for a moment, mostly because he's still following my lead.

Back at home, we usually have to wait until my father sits down and gives us permission to start eating dinner. If he isn't able to make it, whoever is next of importance, which is me since I'm the heir, calls the shots.

However, to not come across as rude, I start to eat and so does Naruto. Naruto's eyes slightly widens as he slurps up his first batch of ramen noodles.

"This tastes amazing!" Naruto cheers.

"I'm glad you approve," Shikamaru's mother replies with a smile. "Shika told me that you eat at Ichiraku Ramen a lot so I tried to replicate their recipe to the best of my advantage without going straight there and stealing it." She looks over at me. "The same with you, Hinata. How's your bbq?"

I swallow before speaking and give her a thumbs up. "It is like I'm eating at the restaurant right now. You totally nailed it."

Shikamaru's mother beams and then she shifts her eyes over to her husband and son. "See, these two knows what a good meal is. I never hear the two of you compliment my dinners like this."

Shikaku waves his fork in the air. "Honey, that's because we already know you're such a great cook and that I'm afraid over showering you with compliments will not make your meals as special when you go all out."

Well, Shikaku surely has mastered the whole "say random bullshit that will make your wife happy just so she'll stop nagging" gig.

Shikamaru's mother slightly blushes. "Oh, Shikaku…"

Shikamaru rolls his eyes as if he's thinking _oh, give me a break_.

"So, Hinata and Naruto," Shikamaru's mother says as she recovers. "Are you excited to become Chunin and start carrying out missions as a leader? I know I was when I became a Chunin."

I raise my eyebrows. "You were a Shinobi?"

Well, her overbearing attitude is similar to a typical kunoichi like Sakura, Ino, Temari, and Tsunade. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised.

She nods. "Of course I was! Who do you think mostly trained Shikamaru up until he became Genin?"

I would answer Shikaku, but I don't want to anger this woman so I'm just going to treat the question as a rhetorical one and not answer. I would also answer you didn't do a really good job then since he was pretty much a mediocre fighter before Asuma whipped him into shape, but whatever.

"Ah, that's interesting," I say instead. "Well, to answer your question, I am pretty excited. Although, I'm little nervous about leading my first team."

"You boss me and Sakura around all the time on missions," Shikamaru comments. "You're not going to have any trouble being a leader. You've practically taken that role on our team already when Asuma isn't around."

"Asuma- _sensei_ ," his mother corrects.

I can't tell if he's being a sarcastic smartass or if he's seriously complimenting me right now.

"I do not," I shoot back even though I know I totally do sometimes. I just feel like I know what is going on better than those two most of the time.

"Well, I'm pretty sure I'll do fine on my first mission alone with a squad as a Chunin," Naruto chimes in. "I'll get my team all pumped up for their mission and then we'll cooperate and work together to complete it!"

"I didn't expect to hear that from you," Shikamaru snorts. "You're usually trying to get noticed and be the center of attention where all the action is."

Naruto shakes his head. "Nope. Not me. Not anymore. Kakashi-sensei told me yesterday that if I'm going to become a Chunin then I need to start thinking and acting like one. I'm going to be seen as a leader now at times and people are going to depend on me and look towards me as such. If I act like I usually do, they'll act in a similar way and then everything will be chaos! If I act calm and rational, so will they."

Shikamaru squints his eyes. "Is that how you really feel now or are you just reciting your sensei's words?"

Naruto puffs out his cheeks. "So what if I am? That's really how I'm going to try to act on missions from now on!"

I smirk.

Is Naruto growing mature on me?

I shake my head.

No, he rushed outside earlier today in his boxers. He's taking baby steps, but he has a long way to go before he's considered mature.

At least I have a good reason to worry about him a little less now if he truly acts like a leader on his future missions instead of his usual self.

The rest of the dinner went very smoothly and I come to learn that Shikamaru's mother was a pretty decent kunoichi before she settled down with her husband and had Shikamaru. Just because she retired from active duty doesn't mean she gave up on her training. She still workouts every morning and tries to train at least twice a week. I don't know what she's capable of, but she has to be pretty good if she became a Chunin.

I also learned that Shikamaru's father is a very laid-back, intelligent and funny man. I can see where Shikamaru got his lazy and smartass attitude from, even though he's a hundred times lazier than his father. Besides going out with his buddies for drinks and playing shōgi with his son, Shikaku enjoys feeding the deer in the forest nearby and making medicine from their antlers. He told Shikamaru to show us the deers next time we come over so I'm pretty thrilled about that because I think deers are the cutest animals ever!

After dinner, Naruto and I left Shikamaru's house and I walked him home since he lives closer to Shikamaru than I do.

"So, did you enjoy yourself tonight?" I ask him. "You seemed to loosen up after I did."

Naruto nods. "That's only because you told me to follow your lead. But, after I started eating I felt better and slowly starting to feel comfortable."

I smile. "See, I told you that you had nothing to worry about."

Naruto rests his arms behind his neck. "Yeah, I know. I know. You're always right. But, I didn't doubt you anyways. I knew deep down I was going to be okay anyway because you told me I was going to be. But, I just naturally got nervous still." He pauses for a second. "You know, I should be walking you home instead. You watch over me all the time. The least I can do is look after you and take you home."

I shake my head. "Oh, you don't have to do that. I'll be fine, honest! I have to take this path home and your apartment just appears to be on the way."

Naruto tilts his head. "Are you sure? Ino has given me lessons on how to be more chivalrous so I think I'm doing it correctly right now."

I giggle at the thought of Ino trying to beat into Naruto's head how to act more like a gentleman.

"Well, you can tell Ino that you offered to take me home and I politely declined," I tell him.

"Knowing her, she'll just say I didn't try hard enough," Naruto mutters underneath his breath.

We make it to Naruto's apartment building and he offers once more, but I deny him again and went on my way home with a goodbye.

And, I made it home without anything happening to me even though I am touched about Naruto wanting to walk me all the way home.

Tonight, I fall asleep without experiencing one nightmare.

 **Author's Note: I know nothing dramatic or actionable happened during this chapter, but it is called a blank period for a reason. I tend to enjoy writing chapter like these because I like when Hinata is able to interact with others in a non fighting and serious situation. But, these blank periods are never filler and they also have a reason, whether it is for that particular moment or for the future.**

 **Anyways, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter and the next one since I did promise a two chapter release and I fulfilled it! I was going to post it earlier, but life happened.**


	32. Chapter 32: Blank Period

**(I posted two chapters at once so read chapter thirty-first before reading this one!)**

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Blank Period**

 **Chapter thirty-two**

"Hinata-sama," a voice calls out followed by a series of knocks on my door. "Wake up, please! There is a visitor here for you."

I place a pillow over my head and squint at the clock on my wall. I was sleeping so well since I didn't experience any nightmares. Plus, it is seven in the freaking morning on my day off! Who the hell is wanting to see me? I swear if it is Lee and Guy inviting me to a early morning training session I'm going to knock them out.

"Hinata-sama! Are you awake?" Kō asks a little louder.

I toss my pillow aside, hop out of my bed, and stomp over to the door.

"I am now," I mumble as I wipe the sleep away from my eyes. "Who has the guts to visit the Hyūga compound this early?"

Kō gives me a small smile. "Well, many of us are usually up and ready for the day around this time, anyways. Including you. Though, I do understand that it is your day off. However, you must not keep your visitor waiting. I think it is important."

"Sleep is important, too," I say to my bodyguard uncharastically. "Who is my visitor if you think they are here for an important reason?"

"The one who helped you train for the Third Round of the Chunin Exams," Kō answers. "Ebisu-sama."

I raise my eyebrows. "Did he say why he was here?"

"He did not," Kō replied, shaking his head. "But, I insist that you hurry and get decent so get doesn't have to wait for much longer."

I thank Kō for informing me that Ebisu here and I close the door to make myself look presentable. After throwing on dark pants and a white long sleeve shirt, I comb down my hair with a brush and hurry outside. I expected him to be waiting at the front gate, but I find Ebisu bending in the front courtyard, admiring some roses.

"My sister grew those," I tell him as I make my way towards him.

Ebisu quickly stands up. "They are very beautiful. All of these flowers growing around your compound makes me feel like I'm continuously walking through a meadow of flowers."

I smile. "I agree, though I believe my sister went a little overboard. She really likes to garden."

Ebisu nods. "I can tell. Well, she's really good at it."

Okay, enough small talk. I just want to see what he wants and go back to sleep.

"I'll tell her you said that. So, what brings you here today, Ebisu-sensei?" I ask.

Ebisu adjust his glasses. "Asuma informed me of your training schedule and how you had the day off today so I hope I didn't come to early."

"No, you're fine," I lie.

"Good," Ebisu says. "I would like to offer you something, if you accept, since you became a Chunin. Which, congratulations, by the way."

I bow. "Thank you. What is this offer?"

Ebisu kind of glances around and then lowers his voice. "I want to train you in elemental ninjutsu."

You know, Ebisu is a pretty brave guy to just march in here and suggest training to me that your typical Hyūga doesn't usually partake in. Especially since we're a very prideful and traditional clan.

But, hell yeah I want him to train me in elemental ninjutsu!

Maybe this was worth getting out of bed for.

My face brightens up. "I graciously accept your offer! I've been wanting to learn something new for awhile now."

Ebisu smirks. "I am glad you're excited. I know your clan is very… conservative and traditional about their training so I was hoping that I wouldn't offend you."

I shake my head. "You'll come to learn that I'm not your average Hyūga. But, will it help to tell you that I already know what my chakra affinities are?"

Ebisu blinks in surprise. "Actually, it does a little."

"I was just curious so I went ahead and found out a long time ago. I've been wanting to work on my Lightning or Fire Release, but the Gentle Fist fighting style isn't the most easiest thing in the world to learn."

Ebisu raises his eyebrows. "So, you affiliate with Lightning and Fire? It isn't common to have two elements that you are naturally affiliated with, but Fire Release is common here in Konoha. I actually affiliate with Fire Release myself so I can easily teach you that."

I shake my head. "I actually want to learn Lightning Release first if that's okay with you?"

"No, that's fine," Ebisu tells me. "I have learned all the basic styles over the years, even if it's only a couple of jutsus for a certain element. I'm not a master when it comes to the Lightning Release, but I can teach you how to call upon it and control it. Since you have excellent chakra control, I believe you'll find it easy to call upon your Lightning chakra. Once you've gotten that down pat, we'll move on to teaching you Lightning based jutsus."

"That sounds good to me." I reply, bouncing on my toes with excitement. "If you don't mind, can we start today?"

"I was planning on doing so," Ebisu says with a smirk as he notices my excitement. "We can start right now if you like."

I nod. "I would! Let me just change into more appropriate attire."

I rush inside to change into my typical training clothes, pull my forehead protector around my neck, grabbed a power bar from the kitchen, and run by Kō's room to inform him of my whereabouts before heading back out to Ebisu.

"I am ready whenever you are," I tell him as I unwrap my bar and start munching on it as my breakfast.

Ebisu nods and we head off to the Sixth Training Grounds.

"Alright," Ebisu says in his teaching voice. "Even though you have an affinity for Lightning Release and you have excellent chakra control, it is still a little tricky to play with. If you don't control it properly, you can risk briefly paralyzing yourself. A person is able to generate lightning by increasing the high frequency vibrations of their body to allow piercing damage and fast movement. In order to keep the lightning channeling, you must repeatedly open and close your tenketsu points. To keep increasing it, you leave your tenketsu open. To decrease it, your close your tenketsu points. But, all of this requires intense concentration at first. Over time, you will be able to conjure up lightning just as easily as walking up a tree."

To keep the lightning steady, I must continuously open and close my tenketsu points. If I want to increase or decrease my lightning, I just have to stop the process and do one or the other.

Psshhh, this sounds… difficult.

But, it would make sense for me to be able to easily manipulate lightning, not because of my affinity for it. But, because of my clan's natural ability to channel chakra into our tenketsu points and release it. I've never tried to rapidly open and close my own points before, but I'm pretty sure I will be able to.

"Now, before I let you start channeling your lightning chakra, I want you to practice opening and closing your tenketsu points," Ebisu tells.

I nod and close my eyes to concentration as I start channeling my chakra to my tenketsu. I feel the chakra start to spread throughout my body and, as it does, I begin to focus on moving my tenketsu points. Instead, a chakra blast shoots out of my body and knocks Ebisu off of his feet.

I blink. "Um, I don't think I did that right."

"No, you most certainly didn't," Ebisu mumbles as he gets up and brushes himself off. "Maybe I should have explained myself more. Do not send any chakra to your tenketsu points; at least not yet. I want you to just strictly attempt to open and close your tenketsu. Once you have that down pat, then I will have you channel your chakra while moving your tenketsu at the same time. You're just used to channeling your chakra to your tenketsu without actually moving them so that is why a chakra blast shot out."

I nod in understanding. "I get it, now."

I close my eyes to start concentrating again and I focus more on opening and closing my tenketsu points. The first few times, I sub consciously kept sending channeling my chakra through my points. But, I am able to break down habit consciously by the tenth try and I feel myself opening and closing my points. I can tell that I am because the stream of chakra that is flowing through naturally keeping speeding up and then slowing down over and over.

"You think you got the hang of it, now?" Ebisu asks after my thirtieth time.

"I believe I do," I reply.

"Okay, now I want you to start channeling a small amount of chakra into your hands while simultaneously opening and closing the tenketsu points throughout your arms and hands," Ebisu orders. "We will just start small and work our way up. I don't want to risking harming yourself right off the bat. Once you start opening and closing all the tenketsu points throughout your whole body, your create more high frequency vibrations and your lightning will become bigger and stronger. But, that comes with time and skill."

"So, you're saying that I will eventually be able to just shoot out lightning from anywhere out of my body because of my clan's ability with chakra manipulation?" I ask.

"Yes and no," Ebisu says. "Only if your body can handle it. Like I said, you have a high risk of harming or paralyzing yourself if you overdo it and, if your body can handle it, will take some time and skill."

Cool! I can still just shoot out a regular chakra blast, but just enhance it will lightning to both knock back and paralyze my enemies! Or, I could create my own lightning chakra armor. Or, I could give in and learn _Rotation_ and then mix in lightning with it. That could be my lightning armor! _Lightning Release: Rotation_! How could would that be?

Ebisu snaps his fingers at me. "I can tell by the look on your face that you're daydreaming about all the techniques you could possibly come up with it. Don't be thinking about stuff like that right now. Focus on channeling your chakra to your hands while pumping your chakra points in your arms and hands open and close. Do it until you feel a spark or actually form one; whichever comes first."

"Yes, sir!"

Crap, he must've have worked with a lot of students over the years if he can tell I'm daydreaming by briefly spacing out.

I raise up my arms and bring my hands close together until they are only inches apart. I start to pour chakra into my hands while slowly attempting to open and close my chakra points at the same time. Miraculously, my body is cooperating with me this time around as it start its process of multitasking. I glance down at the small area between my hands and start to concentrate, hard. While moving my tenketsu points, I feel the chakra channeling to my hands start to swim in a "S" like movement, almost like an actual frequency wave. I feel the tips of my fingertips start to grow warm and fuzzy, but nothing is happening yet. I play around and briefly just open my chakra points to increase the high frequency vibrations. I feel and see sparks shoot out of my fingertips. I yelp out of in surprise and drop my hands, stopping the whole process all together.

Ebisu raises his eyebrows at me. "Is there something a matter?"

"Sparks just flew out of my fingers," I tell him in disbelief as I look down at fingers and wiggle them.

The fuzzy feeling has gone away and they are not warm anymore.

I did not expect to experience results like this so quickly!

"Hmmm, it must've happened so quick that I didn't notice," Ebisu says almost skeptically. "Did you get shocked?"

I shake my head. "No. I was just… well, I guess you can say I was shocked in some sense."

"Ha ha," Ebisu laughs without any humor.

I just stare at him. "I wasn't trying to be funny."

Ebisu just stares at me back. "Just try to create another spark."

I go to repeat the same process again, and few more sparks dance out of my fingers. This time, I didn't drop my hands and continue to hold the sparks in place. I am waiting for my chakra to quickly deplete and tire me out since this is the first time I am messing around with my Lightning Release, but I feel fine. That's probably just normal.

"Okay, you can stop," Ebisu tells me after ten seconds. I do as he says and he rubs his chin. "Hmmm, I didn't expect you to command lightning this fast. I know it is your affinity and you have almost perfect chakra control, but you just started out and you're still so young."

I arch an eyebrow. "Should I continue practicing or try to shoot the lightning out of my hands?"

Ebisu absentmindedly nods, still in deep thought. "Yes, yes. Just continue practicing and I will check up on you in half an hour. I need to think about some things."

"Oh, well, okay," I say.

What does he have to think about?

Thirty minutes later and I am able to easily conjure up lightning from both my hands and my fingers for about twenty seconds tops. While playing around with it, I also figure out that I can maneuver the sparks. So, I decide to form a small lightning ball with the sparks by intertwining them like ropes. I didn't create anything huge; the lightning ball being the size of a tomato. But, it is better than nothing and I am pretty proud of my accomplishment. Ebisu seems pretty pleased as well when I show him the lightning ball once he came back.

"Good job, Hinata," Ebisu compliments. "You're picking this up fairly quickly. I believe if you keep working on this, I can start teaching you simple Lightning Release jutsus within a week."

Lightning Release Jutsus?! That alone motivates me enough to start training even harder! Heck, maybe by next week I can succeed Ebisu's expectations and he'll just skip over the beginner stuff and teach me some real shit!

"That sounds good to me," I tell him with a grin.

Ebisu nods. "I thought it would. Though, I will be going on a mission starting tomorrow and I won't be back until next week so that is why I'm giving you the week long timeframe. While I am gone, I will like for you to practice manipulating and forming your lightning chakra whenever you can. Remember, don't overwork yourself or I will deem you not ready for any jutsus despite what you have achieved."

I nod in understanding. "I promise I will not be reckless."

"I don't expect you to be, but I'm just going ahead and letting you know ahead of time," Ebisu explains. "Elements like Lightning and Fire can seriously damage your body if misused."

"I understand," I tell him. "Um, can you not mention this training to my father or really anybody at all?"

Ebisu arches an eyebrow. "I will surely follow your wishes, but why don't you want anybody to know?"

"Well, you said it yourself earlier that you know how traditional my clan is," I remind him. "Though, those are just more polite words people choose to say. I will admit that my clan can be pretty narrow-minded and proud about a lot things, even if it can help better our fighting style. We believe that our taijutsu is the best thing ever created. And, that may be true, but I feel it doesn't hurt to expand on things like a fighting style. I just don't want anybody within my clan finding out about my training until I get better. My father may try to stop it if he finds out because I already struggle with learning some of the clan techniques that I should already have a good grasp on. He would think the time I'm training with you could be used for those things."

Ebisu gasps. "I'm sorry, Hinata. I really am. I didn't think things clearly when I approached you with this training. I would have never thought this would cause any trouble for you."

I quickly wave my hands. "No, no! It is fine. Honest! I want to continue training with you. I have been wanting to broaden my horizons and learn new things that isn't clan related. Plus, no trouble will ever surface if we just all keep this a secret."

"Well, I have no problem with keeping it between us," Ebisu tells me. "It has nothing to do with anybody else, anyways."

I smirk. "Exactly."

See, I like this guy. He knows when people should mind their own business unlike many other people out there and he's a pretty great instructor.

It almost makes me forget that he's a closet pervert.

Almost.

* * *

For the next three days, I work on my Lightning Release whenever I have spare time. For the past three days, Team Ten has not been scheduled for any missions so we have been training in the mornings and then I train alone in the afternoons. Previous to my new training, I was training with my father, but he's been busy lately with something in his office so I've been able to slip off on my own without any questioning or worrying from him.

On the evening of the third day, I get some news that will disrupt my new training regime for awhile.

"Hinata," Tsunade says to me in her office while I stand in between Sakura and Sasuke. "I'm sending you off to lead your first mission as a Chunin with these two."

"R-really?" I ask.

I'm getting my very own mission as a leader so soon?

I don't whether to feel excited or nervous.

Tsunade nods. "For this mission, I would have just sent Shikamaru with you and Sakura instead of Sasuke, but he and Naruto are preparing to lead their own missions, also. This is sort of like a test run to see how you can fare with being a leader."

Shikamaru and Naruto are already going on missions, too? Wow. This is all happening so fast. I wonder who ended up on their squads?

"What is the mission?" I ask, wanting to go ahead and get the details.

Tsunade rests her elbows on her desk and presses her fingers together. "I am sending you guys to Yugakure to gather some intel."

You know, I wasn't expecting to difficult or extravagant, but an intel mission? Really?

"Gathering intel on what?" Sasuke questions.

"It is on something that Sakura and Hinata has experienced before back on their first trip to Yugakure," Tsunade replies, eyeing the two of us.

Sakura gasps and I widen my eyes.

"What did you find out about Hidan?" I ask.

"Before I go into anymore details, let's recap to Sasuke about what happened on your previous mission to Yugakure," Tsunade says. The three us quickly help Sasuke catch up on everything and he nods in understanding once we are finished. "Now that you are all caught up, let me explain what is going on. We have found out some things about Hidan that may somewhat explain his immortality and what type of person this "Jashin" is. First off, we found some strange seals that are invisible to the naked eye, and apparently to your Byakugan, Hinata, since you didn't mention anything in your report about seeing the seals, both inside and outside of Hidan. The seals contained a mixture of his chakra and a foreign chakra that doesn't belong to him and the seals are in the shape of a circle with an upside down triangle inside of it; the same seal that Hidan uses to perform his ritual in blood."

"So, this isn't caused by a genjutsu user but a fūinjutsu user?" Sakura asks.

"Actually, we still believe genjutsu may be involved, but I will get to that in a minute," Tsunade answers. "Now, something we noticed about Hidan is that he started to show signs of malnourishment in the past couple of months. I mean, he wasn't being fed or anything because everyone thought he was "supposedly" immortal, especially if he can still talk and and remain alive with his head detached from his body. Anyways, we found this odd so I actually operated on the man myself and attached his head back to his body. But, then, we actually locked him up in a cell and restricted his movement and chakra so he wouldn't attempt to escape.

"We decided to feed him and give him water for a few days to see what would happened. The signs of malnourishment went away after a while, but parts of his body were starting to shut down. By this point, Hidan repeatedly kept telling us that he needs to kill someone. We glanced back over Team Ten's reports and noted that Asuma had mentioned that Hidan admitted to the team, and their clients, that he had killed a man once that proclaimed he was a "follower of Jashin". How would have Hidan killed the man if they both claimed they were immortal? Hidan never mentioned how he killed man or what he did with his body; he was very vague. So, we had to think and figure out the puzzle pieces to fill in the gaps of his story.

"We finally came up with the theory that Hidan is immortal, but there is a catch: he has to kill and keep the blood of another person in his body. How this keeps him immortal, we still don't know. We assume that the man he killed hadn't killed anyone in awhile and that is how he was killed. But, it is the best we got at the moment until we come across so cold, hard facts. We can kind of back up this theory because Shinobi from Konoha were sent out to Yugakure to help their officals search the surrounding areas for potential immortals like Hidan. Yugakure was also very quick to comply with us because their tourism would significantly decrease if word got out that they are homicidal immortals running around killing people in the name of some "god". But, after awhile, they finally came across and captured two men who claimed they were "followers of Jashin". There was actually a third person, a woman, but she quickly got away.

"Which makes us believe that there is a hideout somewhere close to Yugakure because this woman got away to quick. There was two chakra sensory type Shinobi that instantly went after the woman, but they lost her presence within a couple of minutes. We believe those three were on their way to the hideout when our men approached them and Hidan was right about them traveling in groups. I guess so they can perform more sacrifices? But, this sort of backs up our theory because the two that were caught were decapitated and sealed up like Hidan was. Like Hidan, they soon went through a malnourishment phase and then continued to get worse once nutrients hit their bodies, and they keep saying that they really need to kill someone, also.

"So, your old client, Norio, is requesting help in gathering intel about finding this hideout. He has been helping Yugakure out ever since Team Ten's last visit there. We believe the hideout maybe concealed under a strong genjutsu. This where the three of you come in. Sakura and Sasuke can help search and break any genjutsu while Hinata can use her eyes to search for it. Plus, I believe you three have the strongest observational and analytical skills to complete this mission amongst your peers. Now, that is the only thing you will be doing on this mission, searching for intel on this "Jashin" person and search for the hideout. If you come across one or the other, you must immediately report your findings. Unless approached, you must not actively search and fight anybody and you must not search for "Jashin" or the hideout if you come across it.

"This mission will be considered a B-rank mission just incase you come across any enemies and because you are going to be spending at the max one month in Yugakure. It will take some time to gather information and I think the three of you are mature enough to handle being away for that long without a more elite Shinobi in your presence. In your downtime, I suggest just enjoying your time in Yugakure, training, or finding some other way to entertain yourselves. You will be leaving tomorrow at eight for your mission. Does anybody have any questions?"

"Did you guys ever debunk how in the world I was under a genjutsu without being around the enemy?" I ask.

Tsunade shakes her head. "Unfortunately, no. We reread the reports over and over again and nothing stood out. Plus, we couldn't get any answers out of Hidan no matter what we did to him. He is very loyal and dedicated to this "Jashin" person. It seems like any of his followers are."

Well, I guess I'll try to figure that out myself, then. I don't want to risk getting put under another genjutsu like that if we did come across an enemy with a connection to Jashin.

And, it sounds like these seals somehow makes Hidan immortal. Tsunade mentioned there was chakra within these seals that doesn't belong to him, so maybe that foreign chakra belongs to Jashin and somehow makes Hidan immortal when mixing in with his chakra?

I don't know. This is all hurting my brain.

"I have a question," Sasuke says, breaking me out of my thoughts. "I don't mind being chosen for this mission, but wouldn't it be better to send someone like Kiba or Shino? Their tracking abilities are much better than mine and you already have somebody else on the team who can break genjutsu."

Tsunade nods. "Kiba and Shino are being sent out on another mission more suited for their needs, even though you are correct that their tracking abilities are better than yours. But, there is nothing really to track in this situation? How are they going to be able to sense these guys within a potential hideout if our highly trained sensory Shinobi could not? Plus, I believe your Sharingan will be able to break out of the genjutsu that Hinata found herself under if one of you three somehow get caught under it."

I arch an eyebrow towards Sasuke.

Is he trying to get himself out of this mission because it is an intel gathering one that may or may not involve any combat?

I say yes and I really don't blame him since I was already internally bitching about it before I heard the details. Sasuke didn't go on the previous mission to Yugakure with us so he probably doesn't care as much about going this time around as Sakura and I does.

Either that or he really doesn't want to spend a month with Sakura flirting and fangirling all over him. But, she isn't around him that often so she may behave herself around him. She acted decent around him when we all spent five days together in the Forest of Death.

"Will we be staying with Norio while we are there?" Sakura asks. "I don't think I have the funds to spend a whole month in a hotel."

"Actually, Norio has already made arrangements for the three of you to stay in a hotel," Tsunade informs us. "So, you don't have to worry about that."

Sakura smiles with joy. "That sounds great!"

"Well, anymore questions?" Tsunade says and we shake our heads no. "If nobody else has any questions, then the three of you are dismissed. Just remember to pack accordingly for this mission."

"Yes, ma'am," we all say in unison and we leave her office.

"Well, I'll see you guys tomorrow," Sasuke tells us as we step into the hallway.

Sakura blushes. "Have a good night, Sasuke! I can't wait to go on this mission with you!"

Okay, I take back the whole "she may act decent around him" ordeal.

"Hn," Sasuke grunts. He glances over at me. "See you in the morning, Hinata."

I nod. "You, too."

Sasuke turns to walk away and Sakura watches him with a hurt expression resting on her face.

"Why did he just blow me off like that?" Sakura asks, mostly to herself.

"I think you already know the answer to that one," I reply anyways, rubbing her back in comfort.

Sakura sighs. "Sometimes, I wish you weren't so blunt with me and just feed into my feelings."

I shrug. "But, that would make me a bad friend if I just lied to you."

Sakura nods. "I know that. I'm just complaining. I just would like for Sasuke to treat me the way he treats you. Heck, he even treats Ino-pig better than me!"

"Well, maybe because they are teammates," I tell her. "He is around her more often and has probably started to form a comradeship with her. Shikamaru got on your nerves at first, but the two of you are fine now."

"His lazy ass still gets on my nerves," Sakura grumbles.

I huff. "Okay, but you know what I mean."

"You're right," Sakura admits. "I guess I just have a lot of high hope that he'll finally notice me one day."

I decide to stop crushing Sakura's dream of being with Sasuke for one day and settle on comforting her. "Well, you are a very beautiful, smart, and talented girl, Sakura. If he doesn't ever look at you differently, than that's his loss and some other, more suitable guy for you will snatch you away and eat at the palm of your hands."

Sakura gives me a small smile. "Thank you, Hinata. You just know the right thing to say sometimes. Though, I don't think no guy will better be as cool as Sasuke."

See, that's the problem. She only thinks of Sasuke as cool or attractive. She doesn't ever stop fangirling over him for a second to take a step back and see she is annoying him. Get to know him as a person, not as some play toy.

Yes, I can quickly get overprotective of my boys, Sasuke and Naruto, if you cannot tell by now.

I say my good-byes to Sakura and quickly head off to inform my father what is going on.

"I see," my father says after I explain everything to him. "We must be short on manpower if Hokage-sama is sending you and two genin on a B-rank mission as your first mission as a leader. You would usually go on a high C-ranked one."

"Or, she just has a lot of faith in us," I counter back. "Plus, I would still consider this mission a C-ranked one since no fighting isn't expected to be involved."

"Well, either way, I am expecting you to successfully pass this mission with flying colors," my father tells me. "You can potentially save many lives if you do and would be a big breakthrough in your Shinobi career if you figure out the secret on how someone can become immortal."

"Hopefully, that secret is just kept within the walls of Hokage-sama's office if it is found out," I mumble. "We don't need any more killing immortals running around."

"I understand your worries," my father says. "Let me just give you some advice before heading off tomorrow. Since you are a Chunin now, you are the leader of this current mission. Your teammates are going to look to you for plans and on what to do next. Make sure you try to think out every action before making a decision. You don't want to risk you or your teammates getting harmed or killed. I know you said that no fighting is expected to happen during this mission, but it still might happen. You never know who you will come across. Always be prepared and alert. Do not let your guard down until your mission is over, even during your downtimes. An ambush can happen at any time."

I nod. "I understand."

"Good. Well, you better go ahead and start packing. You have many things to do still before retiring for the night."

"Yes, father." I bow and leave his voice with a nagging thought in the back of my mind.

What would happen if I did figure out the secret to Hidan's immortality and report it back to Tsunade? I highly doubt it will be announced to the world because it can give Konoha a huge advantage over the other villages if our Shinobi can become immortal. But, who would want to be immortal? I mean, you can potentially live forever, but at the cost of killing people, if Tsunade's theory is correct. And, my father sounds a little too intrigued about the idea of immortality.

Maybe I should somehow sabotage this mission?

No, no. I need to go ahead and get that thought out of my mind. Tsunade is a smart woman and I'm sure she wouldn't just tell the secret to immortality to just anybody. Plus, I need to focus more on the lives that can be saved if we can stop this Jashin person. If Hidan and the others are connected to Jashin, they will most likely die if Jashin is gone.

I go into my room, pull out my traveling backpack, and my storage scrolls. I am going to need to use the scrolls to store my things since my small backpack cannot fit a month's worth of weapons, clothes, food, hygiene products, and other things. After packing and showering for the night, I have just put on a nightgown and I am about to shut off the lights and crawl off to bed when I hear a small knocking sound coming from my door.

"Psst, nee-san," I hear my sister's voice squeak. "I want to sleep with you tonight. Open up."

I sigh and make my way over to the door to slide it open. As soon as I do, Hanabi dashes by me and hops into my bed.

"I call sleeping near the wall!" she informs me.

"I didn't give you permission to come in here or even sleepover with me," I tell her as I close the door and walk over towards her.

Hanabi gazes at me with puppy dog eyes. "Can I sleep with you tonight? Please? You're about to leave for a month and I'm going to miss you."

"Ah, so you overheard?" I ask and Hanabi nods. I cut off the light and get into bed with her and she instantly cuddles up to me. "Wow, you really are going to miss me."

"You're just gone all the time and I barely get to see you," Hanabi pouts. "And, now, you're going to be gone longer than usual."

I smoothe down her hair. "Don't be upset. I'll be back before you know it."

Hanabi rolls her eyes. "No, you won't. I'm not stupid. A month is a long time."

I chuckle. "I know you're not. How about this? If you promise to stay good for our father and continue to train really hard and do great in school, I promise to spar with you when I get back home."

Hanabi has been bugging me for a while now to spar with her since she has been improving a lot, but I've been so busy.

Hanabi widens her eyes in excitement. "Are you serious? Yay! I'm going to start training even harder now so I can beat you."

"Maybe you should ask Otou-san to spend some time training with you while I'm gone," I suggest. "He'll definitely work you hard."

Hanabi hesiates. "Do you… do you think he'll actually train me? He seem more interested in you than me."

I pull her into a hug. "Don't you ever think like that, Hanabi. Our father loves us both the same. You're just still at the Academy and he has to train me to get stronger so I can lead the clan one day. Since I am a Chunin now, I will be gone more often so Otou-san can spend the time he would usually to train me to train you."

"I guess you're right," Hanabi whispers, sounding like she is suddenly half-asleep, and she yawns.

I guess my little lecture bored her to sleep.

I kiss the top of her head. "Older sisters are always right. Now, let's go to sleep. Goodnight, Hanabi. I love you."

"Mmm, I love you, too, Hinata-nee-san," Hanabi says back before drifting off to sleep.

I close my own eyes and quickly fell asleep, thankfully experiencing another night without nightmares.

* * *

"You guys ready to go?" I say to Sasuke and Sakura as we stand underneath the gate the next morning at eight.

"I am!" Sakura says.

"So am I," Sasuke tell me.

I nod and gaze out into the forest that lies behind the walls. I slowly inhale and exhale.

I am about to walk out of this village and lead my very first mission with Sakura and Sasuke.

I pray this all goes well for us.

I smirk. "Let's go, then!"

And, we head off.

 **Author's Note: So, a new mission and arc begins for OC Hinata! I wonder what awaits her and her teammates?**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	33. Chapter 33: The God of Evil Arc

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **The God of Evil Arc**

 **Chapter thirty-three**

"Before we get too far, I want to briefly tell you guys on what we will be doing," I say to Sakura and Sasuke, testing out this whole leader thing. "At our pace, we should arrive in Yugakure sometime tomorrow in the late afternoon, early evening. I was thinking we should just keep our eyes peeled and stay guarded so we won't get ambushed. So, I suggest that we mask our chakra to the best of our ability and have you, Sakura, cast a _False Surroundings_ genjutsu around us to furthermore conceal ourselves. Once we reach a decent distance away from Konoha, I will send out two Shadow Clones to scope out our surroundings within a reasonable radius. Plus, I'll try to have my Byakugan activated as much as I can without straining them. So, that means I should stay position in the back with Sakura in the middle and Sasuke in the front. Oh, and I think we should probably take a break for lunch and dinner and then settle down for the night around tenish."

Okay, that sounded very unorganized and it is obvious I'm just nervously rambling things off the top of my head.

To my surprise, Sasuke and Sakura complies with my "plan".

"That sounds fine by me," Sasuke tells me.

Sakura nods. "Same here. I would just like to get to Yugakure without anything happening."

Satisfied by their responses, I drop to the back of the line so we can get into formation and we continue on. Our traveling throughout the day is quiet and tense, well at least tense on my part. I keep multitasking and having to watch where I'm stepping, to make sure I don't fall since we are traveling through the trees, and expanding my vision to search for any potential enemies or traps. Our first break at lunch came and left without anything happening and the same with our second break during dinner. By the time it is time to settle down for the night, I am exhausted, my chakra is drained from continuously using my Byakugan and from having my Shadow Clones running around all day, my eyes are throbbing, and my nerves are shot even though nothing has happened to us.

I'm just a complete mess right now.

"Okay," I say to Sasuke and Sakura as we sit around the lowly lit campfire that Sasuke created for us. "I'm going to take first watch so you guys can go ahead and get some sleep. I'll wake Sasuke up in a few hours and then-"

"No," Sasuke interrupts. "I'll the first watch and Sakura will take the second."

I arch an eyebrow. "Huh?"

Sakura nods. "You just heard Sasuke. He and I can tell that you are tired, low on chakra, and unnecessarily stressing yourself out. You are in no position to take on the first watch."

I furrow my eyebrows together. "But, I-"

"You're not going to win so don't even waste your breathe on arguing with us," Sasuke tells me and I huff. "While it is necessary to stay guarded and on high alert during a mission, you are going to emotionally and mentally burn yourself out if you keep stressing out over all of this. I know you don't want nothing to happen, and you want to be prepared for anything, but you also need to take care and worry about yourself."

Sakura gives me a reassuring smile. "You are doing fine as a leader, Hinata. I promise. You just need to some sleep right now. I will wake you up when it is your turn to take over."

I hesitate for a second and quickly scan the surrounding area with my Byakugan before giving in.

"You guys are right," I say to my friends. "I'm just making sure everything goes perfectly and that I'm being a good leader. I don't want anything happening to you two and I really want this mission to be a success."

A lot of people has high hopes for me, Tsunade, the Third Hokage, my father, Ebisu, Asuma... and I don't want to let any of them down by failing.

"Well, you'll never successfully complete this mission if you're constantly stressing and tiring yourself out for the rest of the time," Sasuke replies. He takes a handful of dirt and tosses into the fire to put it out. "You guys go ahead and get some rest. I'm going to go ahead and begin the first shift. Night."

Sakura and I tell him goodnight and he hops up the nearest tree and makes himself comfortable on a high, secluded branch. I try to stay up for a few more minutes, but Sakura gives me the "Sakura Glare" that she typically gives Shikamaru and Ino so I quickly lay down and remain still.

Angry pink-haired girls with large foreheads can't kill you if you stay still.

* * *

I wake up to feeling the warmth of the rays from the early morning sun beating down on my face and I sleepily flutter my eyes open. I slept great and now I feel recharged and ready to take on my shift!

….. But, it is daytime. Why is it daytime?

I shoot up out of my sleeping bag and frantically move my head around in search of Sasuke and Sakura. I locate them with my Byakugan just a few yards away, fishing out of a small pond. I deactivate my visual powers and narrow my eyes.

Why didn't they wake me up? I know I was exhausted last night, but did they think I was incapable of keeping watch for a few hours? Do they not think I'm fit for a leader?

I shake my head at that last thought.

No, they told me I was doing fine yesterday.

Ugh. I know they are looking after my well being, but this is still a little irritating. But, if they are going to catch breakfast, the least I can do is find some firewood for them

I comb down my bedhead and then begin my search for some more firewood. I gather some up, throw them in the pile of last night's wood, and then make my around the nearby bushes to forage some berries. We did bring our own food, but we are expected to be gone a whole month so that is going to be our supply. We can't afford to eat out every night and I doubt Norio would want to feed three extra people every night. I find a small batch of red colored berries that I remember Iruka teaching us back at the Academy that aren't poisonous, so I wrapped some up in a handkerchief and shoved it in my shorts pocket. As I save one berry to pluck into my mouth, I spurt out a Shadow Clone to watch our things and wonder over to Sasuke and Sakura.

"Good morning!" I call out to the two of them.

Sasuke and Sakura looks over their shoulders and wave me to come over. As I stroll on over to them, I take in the scenery. Birds are chirping overhead. A gentle breezes cools the air and causes the colorful trees to sway back and forth. The occasional splash over water caused by a fish.

Everything just seems so peaceful right now. It doesn't feel like we are on a mission to search for some immortal psychos.

I plop down next to Sakura and she gives me an apologetic look. "I hope you're not too mad at us for not waking you up."

I wave my hand. "Me get mad at you guys? Never."

"Hn. That means she's mad," Sasuke grunts as he stares down his fishing rod, waiting for a fish to nibble on it.

I shift my eyes over to him. "Oh, hush. I wasn't even talking to you. But, how is catching breakfast going?"

Sakura points over to her small pile of fish. "I've got three. I figured that should hold us over until lunch, but Sasuke insisted we catch some more."

I look at Sasuke and his nonexistent pile of fish. "Pssh. He's only saying that because he hasn't caught any yet."

Sakura slightly widens her eyes at my comment and then giggles as Sasuke shoots me a dirty look. "Don't start that crap," he says. "You've seen me fish before. I fish perfectly fine. They aren't just biting today."

"Then, why does Sakura have three and you have zero?" I ask in an innocent voice.

Sasuke turns away and pretends that I'm not there.

* * *

Around mid morning, my Byakugan picks up a small boy just straight up ahead. He seems to be hunting for something in a bush. My visual powers has picked up a couple of other people as we traveled today, but they were not on our path like this boy is. Plus, those travelers posed no threat to us because they weren't Shinobi or they've would've sensed us since we were less than a mile away from one another.

I wouldn't be worried about a little child if they weren't usually used as bait to ambush travelers. That and pretty ladies.

"There's a little boy up ahead, about six or seven years of age," I warn my comrades. "There is nobody else nearby, nor do I sense any genjutsu that could be concealing any enemies, but just be careful."

They both nod and we keep our guard up as the boy comes into view. The trees that are in Yu no Kuni are not as tall as the ones in Hi no Kuni, but they are closer together and and grow more vegetation. These trees are more difficult to travel through, so we have opted to walk on foot the rest of the way. That is how we are unable to avoid the boy and why I want everyone to be on their guard.

As we approach the boy, he hears our footsteps and whirls around. He is of average height, but is very underweight for his age. He has very pale skin underneath the dirty smudges that is covering his body, large green eyes, and messy sandy blonde hair. He has on a tattered clothes and no shoes.

If I were to guess, he comes from a very poor village/household or he is a homeless orphan.

He hesitates at first once he sees us, but then he rushes over to us and holds out his hand while carrying an empty bag in the other. "Can… can you please spare some food or money? I'm… I'm very hungry."

"Where's your family?" Sasuke questions the boy coldly.

The boy lowers his eyes. "I… I don't have one."

My heart breaks for him, but I continue to put on a neutral mask.

"So, you're just wandering around in the middle of a forest alone?" Sasuke continues.

The boy nods. "Yeah…. I'm just looking around for some food. But, I can't find anything…" He points towards the west. "I'm from a tiny village just a couple of miles that way…"

Sakura gives the boy a sympathetic look. "And, you have nobody at all to take you in?"

The boy shakes his head. "No... The villagers are too poor to take an extra mouth to feed."

I study the dirty boy up and down. He doesn't appear dangerous and I don't see any weapons or seals on him.

"Hand me your bag," I say to the little boy.

He hands it to me. I put down my backpack and everyone watches me as I unroll one of my storage scrolls out of it and spill out the contents of it. I fill up the boy's bag with some perishable foods, iodine pills, a water bottle, a blanket, and some money and hand it back to him.

"Those pills are meant to put in your water bottle after you fill it up," I explain to the boy as I slide my backpack back on. "You don't want to get sick from drinking dirty water."

The boy's face brightens up as he stares into his bag. "You're so kind… thanks, Miss!"

I just smile down at him as he turns around and scurries off into the direction where he says his village is in.

"I hope he makes it through this rough patch," Sakura says in a worried tone as we continue to walk again.

I nod in agreement. "I wish we could've done more for him, but it isn't like we could allow him to travel with us."

We are already foreigners to Yugakure and we can't just bring in some homeless orphan with us. I don't want to take the risk of us getting in trouble or cause the little boy even more emotional trauma if the village rejected him.

We travel through the afternoon without seeing anybody else and we eventually make it to Yugakure around four.

"Long time no see!" Norio greets us by the front gate. It appears he has been reading while waiting for us to arrive judging by the book in his hand. "Did you have a more pleasant traveling experience this time around?"

Sakura sighs in relief. "Thankfully, we did."

Norio smiles. "I'm glad to hear that. Michi has been so exciting to see you guys again…" He peers over me and Sakura and squints at Sasuke through his glasses. "Say, didn't you have a boy with a ponytail with you two last time? Er…. Shikamaru?"

I nod. "He is actually away on another mission. You see, he and I recently got promoted to Chunin so we are leading our first mission with this new status of ours."

Norio rubs his chin. "Ah, I see. That's great! Congratulations and tell him I said that about him, too. Oh, has he mastered that jutsu yet that I showed him?"

"He did," I tell him. "It actually helped him when his match to become a Chunin."

Norio adjust his glasses. "I helped a Shinobi get promoted. Maybe I should write a book about what I know…" He chuckles at his small joke and reaches out to shake Sasuke's hand. "Well, I am Norio, by the way."

"Sasuke," Sasuke replies as he firmly shakes our client's hand.

Norio nods and recoils his arm back. "It is nice to meet you. Since you haven't met me and I haven't meet you before, we can introduce ourselves a little more as we head back to my place."

Sasuke scrunches up his face at the thought of reveal personal stuff, but I save him briefly by asking Norio a question. "Why are we going back to your place? Aren't we going to start help you and the officials search?"

"No, I figured we can start all of that mess tomorrow since it is already in the evening hours," Norio answers as we start to head towards his house. "It'll be dark before we know it. I want you guys to have the whole day when you start your searching. For now, we are going to have dinner at my place and I'll elaborate more to you three about your mission."

"Did Hokage-sama not tell us everything?" Sakura asks.

Norio shrugs. "I do not know what she told you, but I doubt she's holding any information back. I just want to explain to you all myself and show you three in person on the map of the places where we think this "hideout" may be and so on."

We all nod in understanding and Norio launches into a brief biography about himself to Sasuke while the boy rolls his eyes when the man isn't looking. When we arrived at Norio's house, the single father didn't learn one thing about Sasuke except for his last name and then things got slightly awkward because Norio didn't really want to bring up the Uchiha incident and Sasuke's resting bitch face dared him to try. However, the atmosphere cleared up again when Michi greets us by the door.

"Sakura!" she squeals and rushes over to give the pinkette a hug. She glances over and smiles sweetly at me. "Hey, Hinata!"

Hey, where's my hug? Way to show favoritism, Michi.

I smile back at her and wave as Sakura says, "How've you been, Michi?"

"I've been good!" Michi replies back excitedly. "I can't wait to hang out with you guys again and go to the hot springs." She briefly gives me a sympathetic look. "Well, if Hinata is up for it…"

I smoothe down her hair. "Of course I am! I'm not going to let one bad incident derail me from enjoying a trip to the hot springs."

Michi nods. "Great!"

"Well, let's go and get inside," Norio says as he ushers us all in and closes the door. "We don't want to let all the cool air in."

A few minutes we are eating the dinner that Norio had cooked for us, leaving Michi to watch over it in the oven while he was gone to retrieve us. Tonight's meal is grilled pork chops and fresh vegetables.

"Michi, tell them what you've been doing lately," Norio urges to his daughter.

Mich swallows her mouthful of food before speaking. "After you guys left last time, you guys inspired me to want to become a Shinobi after seeing you fight against that scary man. I told my father I wanted to become one and he told me what a Shinobi really does and I kind of changed my mind. I mean, I want to travel around the world and a Shinobi is able to do that with all the missions they go on. But, I really don't want to go around and fight people. So, I just decided to learn some basic jutsus and fighting styles that a Shinobi would learn in the Academy so I can protect myself on my travels when I am older. I really just wanted to do some of the cool moves like you guys did."

Sakura smiles at Michi. "That sounds like a good goal to works towards. But, I must warn you that it won't be an easy goal to achieve. You have to put a lot of hours into practicing and it takes awhile before you learn anything "cool". Though, if you don't mind, I can help you out some whenever I have some free time since we will be around the village for awhile."

Michi beams. "Are you serious? Oh, thank you so much, Sakura! You're the best."

Awh, Michi is so cute when she's excited.

"It is no problem," Sakura replies. "I want to help you out. What have you learned so far?"

"My father has only been working with me for a couple of months, but I've just been doing some exercises to build of my muscles and stamina, I've been running a lot, and learning how to properly punch or kick."

Sakura nods. "That's a good start. I'm pretty sure I can help you improve a lot by the time we have to leave."

Norio gives Sakura an assuring smile. "Oh, I'm sure she will. She has a very good work ethic and has already improved a lot of these past couple of months. Though, I can say that she has a hard time developing much chakra, so I'm pretty sure she has very low reserves. Which, she probably gets from me. So, I just been focusing on teaching her basic taijutsu and building up her body."

"Well, Sakura has excellent chakra control and is very intelligent so I'm sure teaching Michi anything go along just swell for her," I chime in.

Sakura gives me a look that reads "bitch you're chakra control is better than mine and I know you taught Naruto somethings during our Academy days so why don't you volunteer to help out, too?"

And, I give her a look back that reads "because, bitch, I don't want to."

Then, we just silently agree that Sakura can train Michi alone, since the girl admires her so much, and that is that.

No, it isn't weird that I make up conversations in my head.

After dinner, Norio has Michi to leave the room for awhile so he can give us more details about our mission.

"The two men that were captured were long range fighters just like Hidan was," Norio tells us as we sit around him in the dining room. "One of them was skilled in shurikenjutsu while the other used long ranged fire jutsus. When fighting together, I heard they were pretty difficult to take down. One would try to restrict their opponents movement while the other would try to burn them at the same time. The third person that was with them, the woman, didn't even fight. As soon as the fight begun, it was said that she made a quick escape, leaving no regard for her comrades. Whether she ran off because she realized they were outnumbered or is weaker than those two, we don't know. All we know is that her presence went away as soon as she bolted and no one could find or sense her."

He pulls out a drawing.

"Since I wasn't there, I tried to draw her as accurately as I could while someone else described her looks for me."

The woman has shoulder length black hair and narrowed blue eyes. While her body type is tall and slender, she has a round face going on. Her nose is sharp and pointed, she has large ears, and tiny lips.

"So, the pattern is that any followers of Jashin are long range fighters?" Sasuke asks. "So, we can just assume, for now, that the woman is a long range fighter, also?"

Norio nods. "Correct. We can assume that, for now. But, these three seemed to act differently than Hidan. Hidan was pretty boastful about his god and he has a really wild and manic fighting style. Like he knows he is immortal and that he won't get hurt or die, so why become cautious? These three were more logical and tactical. From what is perceived, the woman is smart enough to know when she can't win a fight, despite wanting to kill for her god, so she flees. The other two ambushed the group of Shinobi, introduced who they were, and then went in for the kill. Unlike Hidan, there was no long ramblings about Jashin nor any wild or manic intent. They were pretty calm and collected until they were overruled and got their heads cut off."

"Even though these guys are nuts, I guess Hidan is the worse of them all," I mumble. "I doubt this happened since Tsunade didn't mention anything about it, but did the Shinobi fighting these guys experience any genjutsu affects a while after?"

Norio shakes his head. "No, that whole genjutsu ordeal that happened to you is still unknown. At first, we try to go with your and Asuma's theory of the genjutsu being a verbal one, but we never got any proof since Hidan is very loyal to Jashin and won't answer questions related to him."

Well, even though it is still a mystery, I kind of think it is a verbal genjutsu. Like, a prayer or something.

Norio pulls out a map and sets it on top of the dining room table for us to look at. He points at some areas that are highlighted in red.

"These areas as places within a twenty mile radius of Yugakure that we believe where a hideout could be hidden based off our research and calculations," Norio explains to us. "These areas are located in the deepest and most remote parts of our forests where it would be easy for someone to hide and set up a base camp." He hovers a finger of one of the highlighted areas. "Tomorrow, I suggest you three start where we captured those two men. I know it isn't the closest to Yugakure, but it is only about eight miles out so it shouldn't take you guys long to get there. I recommend you three to search very hard, long, and precise. Spend the whole day looking for clues and look under every rock and leaf."

"You don't have to tell us twice," Sakura says. "We want to find this Jashin person as much as anybody else."

Norio holds up a hand. "Now, remember, you must not confront anybody you come across unless you are threatened first. These Jashinists are strong enough already, we don't know how strong Jashin is. You are to just report what you find as soon as possible, if you find anything important during your searches."

Hey, I'm not going to protest about not being allowed to pursue anybody. I would prefer to not fight anybody like Hidan again. Especially if Jashin is real.

I don't want to fight a god.

The next day, we wake up bright and early to eat breakfast in our hotel rooms and then set off on our searching adventures. We make to the area where those two guys were captured and we spend the whole entire day doing nothing but search for any clues, big or small. Basically searching from sunup until sundown. And, we didn't find a damn thing. My Byakugan didn't find any hidden holes or underground caverns. We didn't come across anybody nor did we pick up on any genjutsu. Like Norio suggested we do, we literally looked under every rock and leaf. It was a wasted effort and the only thing we got out of our search is strained eyes, sore bodies, and irritable moods.

We combed over the same area again the second day, just to make sure we didn't miss anything, and we still didn't come across nothing.

The third day is the same shit only different toilet. We didn't find anything in the new area, one that is a only about three miles from Yugakure but is located near a small cave.

"It is only our third day, and I'm already tired of all these dead ends," I complain to Sasuke and Sakura as we settle down for dinner in his room.

"Yeah, it is starting to piss me off," Sasuke chimes in.

"Well, like Hinata just said, it is only our third day," Sakura says, trying to see the brighter side of things. "Maybe things will look up tomorrow for us."

Things did not look up for us. In fact, it got much, much worse.

Sasuke, Sakura, and I stare at the horrific scene in front of us in horror. Sakura immediately covers her mouth and looks away to keep from vomiting, I just stand there in complete shock, and Sasuke tenses up in anger.

While searching a new area today, we come across a field of blood stained grass and damaged trees that has dead slashed up bodies of kids pinned to them. In the center of everything is a Jashin symbol drawn in blood and write above the symbol is a message, also written in blood, that reads: _Stop or feel Jashin's wrath!_ In danity handwriting.

Handwriting that would typically belong to a girl.

And, I'm pretty sure I know who this girl is.

The one that escaped.

What stood out the most and hit all of us the hardest is seeing that little orphan boy that we came across just a few days ago pinned to a tree among the rest of the kids. His face is still recognizable behind all the blood and gore, but his stomach was brutally cut up and his insides are spilt out at the base of the tree.

Damnit... Damnit! I knew we should've had him tag along with us.

From behind me, I hear Sakura's attempts to not throw up fail and she vomits everywhere. I shut my eyes and lower my head in guilt and anger.

I swear. I'm gonna find this bitch and I'm going to kill her.

Sasuke is the first to compose himself and starts thinking rationally. "Hinata, I believe we should go and report this incident."

I only nod in response and muster up two Shadow Clones to patrol and keep guard of the area while we are gone. Sakura finishes up her episode, wipes the cold sweat that is now breaking across her forehead, and we hurry back to Yugakure. We make it to Norio's house in record time and burst through his front door without knocking, almost taking it off its hinges. Norio rushes into the living room to see what all the ruckus is and he immediately gives us a look of worry and confusion when he sees us.

I speak first, trying to keep my body from quivering but it betrays me. "We... We just came across a murder scene."

Norio's eyes grow large. "How far? In which area?"

"About twelve miles from here," Sasuke answers. "Hinata has two clones watching over the area for the time being."

"We found a "Jashin" symbol on the ground," I tell Norio. "Like how Hidan made his before, it was drawn in blood... the blood from children."

Norio's face pales. "C-children?"

I nod. "Yes, and we recognized one of the children. A little orphaned boy who lived in a tiny village about four hours west from here. We stumbled upon him on our way to Yugakure a few days ago, so I don't understand how he got all the way out here."

"He was either kidnapped and drugged here or attempted to follow us and got caught along way," Sasuke guessed.

Oh my... If he was following us to possibly find a home or a friend or something after we gave him some food and money...

I clench my fists.

"My assumption is that the woman who escaped did it," I say in a low voice. I look over at Sakura, who hasn't spoken this whole time. "You saw the handwriting before you turned away. It looks like a writing style that a woman would write in; dainty and tiny."

Sakura only nods in agreement, but is still in shock and lost in thought.

Norio tilts his head. "While that is a good observation, a man could also possess a writing style such as that."

"Yes, but the woman has experience writing things in blood," I protest, even though it sounds kinda stupid. But, I just know I'm right. "She can easily dip her finger in blood and write along the ground like she is writing on a piece of paper with a pen. Plus, she's the only free roaming Jashinist, that we know of, that has an idea of what we are up to. If she heard about what happened to Hidan, and she has an idea of what happened to the comrades she abandoned, she would be trying to scare us away. Plus, if being immortal is linked to killing others as "sacrifices" for Jashin as theorized, then she still has to find someway to kill people without getting caught by us. I'm going to go ahead and assume that those kids are orphaned, because that one little boy was, and orphaned children are easy targets to kill because nobody is going to miss them. And, I think it is her because she could've chosen to leave a while back so we'll never catch her. But, it seems like she is still sticking around if those kids are dead. Unless, there is another Jashinist that we don't know about running around."

Norio sighs. "What you are saying makes sense and I'm not going to say you're wrong, but I'm not going to say you're on the right track. The scene needs to be investigated, analyzed, and reports need to be made." He rubs his face. "This may sounds terrible to say, but it would actually be better for us if those children were orphaned. That way, we don't have to worry about any parents trying to get involved. The more people that get involved, the more that these Jashinist know that we are after them."

That is actually terrible to say, but it is true. Though, what happened to those children is tragic and I just want to know how that woman rounded up ten children and brutally murdered them. Especially that little boy. He was hours away from Yugakure and, from what I could tell at the time, was heading back to his village after we treated him.

And, even though the woman is basically telling us that she is still lurking around somewhere, we are still at a dead end. We don't actually know if the woman committed this slaughtering, but I think she did. It just makes the most sense and it would just suck if there are more Jashinists hanging out.

What's so appealing about Yu no Kuni that attracts Jashinists? Did the religion originated in this country? This seems to be only going on here. I haven't heard any other country dealing with any Jashinists. Well, not that I've been told of.

Not wanting to leave Michi alone, but also not wanting her to come with us to witness the mutilated bodies of young children, Norio leaves his daughter with a trusting neighbor and we head to the heart of the village to have an official come with us. Two previous Yuga Chunin, who helped fought and capture the two men, volunteered to come with us and we head off back to the area. It took a little while to get there since Norio isn't nowhere as fast as us other Shinobi, despite being a retired Shinobi himself. Once we arrive, Norio starts to take pictures of the crime scene and starts to take notes while the two Chunin have a look around. Sakura stands off to the side with her back turned, still not being able to handle any of this, so Sasuke and I wonder off to investigate the bodies also. I activate my Byakugan to scan over each child's body to see if there is any strange seals or anything on them, but I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Sasuke went around with his Sharingan on to capture the scene in his mind and to capture the message written in blood to remember the handwriting.

After the investigation is concluded, the children are sealed away in scrolls, the message on the ground gets washed, and we head back to Yugakure.

"What do we do from here?" Sasuke asks to no one in particular.

"We are going to review the evidence that we gathered and create a report to show our leaders and a report to send back to Konoha," Norio answers. "We are going to be doing that for the rest of the day and tomorrow so I suggest you three day tomorrow off. Get some rest, train, or visit the hot springs or something."

Sasuke and Sakura glance over at me, silently asking what I want to do.

I don't really want to take the day off, but I also don't want that woman to go on another killing spree if she finds out we ignored her warnings and are continuing to search for her the day after she murdered some children. Maybe taking the day off can help us de-stress and clear our minds so we can formulate a better plan on how to find her.

I nod my head towards Norio. "We will take the day off tomorrow."

After we arrive back to Yugakure, we part ways with Norio and the Yuga Chunins and head back to our hotel. Once I get back into my room, I flop onto my bed and let out a frustrated sigh.

This has been a horrible day.

"I know you didn't want to take the day off tomorrow, Hinata," Sakura says to me as she grabs a change of clothes to prepare for a shower. "But, I think you made the right decision."

I don't say anything as she walks into the bathroom, but her words takes some weight off of my shoulders and I smile. I've been worrying this whole time if I am making good choices or not as a leader, so hearing Sakura say that I made the right decision, even if it is a minor one, slightly puts me in a better mood.

* * *

The next day, we took the day off as Norio requested. Sakura decides to watch over Michi for the day and help her with her training as promised. Plus, she wants to ease Norio's nerves of letting her stay home alone ever since the incident yesterday. Sasuke and I head to the forest to find a small area to train, which is kind of hard since all the trees are so close together in this country. However, we find a decent sized field to train out. He starts to work on his taijutsu while I focus on practicing around with my Lightning Release.

After going through some warm ups, I bring my hands forward and move them closer together. I start send chakra throughout my arms and hands as I rapidly open and close my chakra points at the same time. I feel my the tips of my fingers start to tingle with warmth and then they quickly grow numb as my chakra continues to build up. Finally, flickers of lightning dance out of my fingers and I manipulate the strains of lightning to overlap and create a small ball of electricity. I allow for the ball of lightning to hover for a few seconds before I slowly pull my hands away from each other, centimeter by centimeter, all the while building up more chakra into it. As I hoped, the ball grow a little bigger until it is the size of a cantaloupe.

I didn't expect for the ball lightning to get this big this fast, so I am feeling very proud of myself right now.

Deciding to see what I can do with this ball of lightning, I concentrate on shifting it over completely into one hand. It become more attracted to my right hand and it connects with my palm. I carefully turn my hand upright, still focusing on keeping the ball in my palm without it falling, and it pops and crackles in my hand. I steadily grasp the lightning ball and then I go to bring my arm back. I lock eyes with a tree and I attempt to hurl the lightning ball at it. But, as soon as it leaves my hand, the ball immediately explodes and sparks of lightning shoots outs in all directions. A few of them strike me and I feel a few jolts swim through my body, causing me to convulse briefly before falling to the ground.

Shit. This really hurts.

I wiggle my fingers and toes.

Well, at least I'm not paralyzed.

"Are you alright?" I hear Sasuke as he stands over me.

I get up and brush myself off, noticing that my clothes are a little singed now. "I'm fine. Just had a little mishap."

I guess my ball of lightning wasn't dense enough to throw just yet. I am probably able to keep it altogether while it is connected to my force or a body part, but detracts when it is away from me.

"I didn't know you had Lightning Release," Sasuke says to me.

I freeze up.

That's because he wasn't suppose to know. Damn, I totally forgot he didn't know. I was mainly worried about not letting anyone any in clan finding out.

Good going, Hinata.

"I just started my training with it shortly before we left on this mission," I admit. "I wasn't going to tell anyone until I perfected it because I wanted to surprise everyone."

Okay, that's a little white lie, but those are harmless.

Sasuke arches an eyebrow, "You just started your training on Lightning Release? Could've had me fooled. I thought you have been working on it for awhile since you're able to control it so well."

A compliment from Sasuke?! I'll take it!

"Yeah, my trainer said that I'm picking up on it much faster than he expected, but that's probably due to it being one of my affinities and my high level of chakra control."

"You have another Chakra Nature?"

I nod. "I also have Fire Release, but I'm more interested in honing my Lightning Release right now."

"You should change up your training if you want to do that," Sasuke tells me.

I tilt my head to the side. "What do you mean?"

"Just from watching you, I can already tell it is going to take you awhile before you are able to keep that lightning ball together once it leaves your hands," Sasuke says. "You have no problem controlling the chakra, but it is a whole other thing trying to keep it compressed together. I think you should hold that off until you are more skilled. You don't want to keep wasting your time and energy doing that when you can do other things with your Lighting Release."

 _Cool! I can still just shoot out a regular chakra blast, but just enhance it will lightning to both knock back and paralyze my enemies! Or, I could create my own lightning chakra armor. Or, I could give in and learn Rotation and then mix in lightning with it. That could be my lightning armor! Lightning Release: Rotation! How cool would that be?_

"I may have some other ideas," I tell him as I reflect.

Sasuke nods. "Good. Just work on something easy at first and then build up to it."

He goes away to practice on his Taijutsu again.

Sasuke is right. I should be starting off with what I know before I dabble in the unknown. Being able to throw a ball of electricity at my enemies would be pretty powerful, but being able to knock back enemies and paralyze them at the same time is just as useful. I am already able to shoot out a regular chakra blast, I just need to practice mixing in lightning with it.

And, that is what I work on doing for the rest of the day.

After our training session, we meet up with Sakura and Michi for lunch and then we head off to the hot springs to relax our sore muscles and we replenish our chakra reserves.

"Ahh… this totally hits the spot," I whisper as I emerge my body into the small pool of steaming water.

Since it is getting colder, tourists are flocking to the Yugakure to experience the warmth from the springs, so the place is a little crowded today. Not to crowded to where we can't find our own spots to relax, but we still had to wade around other women before we found a small area to ourselves.

"I totally needed this," Michi mumbles before diving her head underwater.

Poor Michi is exhausted after Sakura whipped her into shape this morning. The little girl isn't used to training that hard.

After a few minutes of peaceful silence, Sakura inches over to my ear. "Sasuke's been really nice to me since we've been in Yugakure."

I open one eye. "Well, he typically is towards you when you don't act like a fangirl."

Sakura blushes, or maybe she's just flushed from sitting in boiling water. "I know that and I've been trying to behave around him. It is just so hard to not comment on his looks or how cool he is, but I've been composing myself."

"I'm sure he appreciates that," I say. "Just act like yourself and see beyond his looks and "cool" personality to get to know more about just him. What are his likes? Dislikes? Favorite color? Foods?"

Sakura smirks. "I'm working on that. So far, I do know that he hates fangirls and he likes to eat tomatoes."

I nod. "That's a good start. Maybe you can make it your next goal to make him smile. It would be a good workout for his lips since he keeps them in a downward position."

Sakura giggles. "Now, that might be a little challenging. I-" She stops in mid-sentence and squints her eyes, looking past me. "I'm really getting tired of that old lady glaring at me. What's her problem?"

"Who are you talking about?" I ask as I lazily move my head around and my heart stops.

Glaring at Sakura, and now me, about fifteen feet away is a very familiar looking elderly woman with grey eyes. And, she isn't just glaring at us. She is sending out a deadly amount of killing intent, her eyes are crazed and wild, and she is snarling at us with her teeth clenched.

"Sakura… remember me telling you about seeing an old woman before I went under a genjutsu the last time we were at the springs?"

Sakura nods, waits for a response, and then catches on. "Are… are you implying that's her?"

I open my mouth to answer when I see the woman take a step towards us. Sakura and I quickly spring upwards and I tense up. I look around to see if anyone is watching and, like last time, and everyone is off in their own little worlds.

"Sakura, I think we are getting pulled into a genjutsu," I warn my teammate.

She shakes her head. "But, I'm resistance to genjutsu!"

"Well, not to this one it seems."

Suddenly, the elderly woman gets on all fours, let's out a demonic growl, and charges after us, completing running on top of the water.

I widen my eyes and grab Sakura's arm. "Sakura, get under the water, now!"

I pull her under with me before she can even react and we press our fingers together.

"Kai!"

And then, everything goes dark.

 **Author's Note: I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter!**

 **On another note, who else is sad that Naruto is officially over? I went to search the latest episode on Youtube since it is Thursday and then remembered that the finale was last week. (That episode was so perfect and it made me cry lol.) But, I'm excited for Boruto to come out and I'm going to give it a chance. I read somewhere that Kishimoto said that he's going to make Boruto better than Naruto, so he has a lot to live up to.**

 **One more thing, I've had a few people suggest to me that I should get a beta. I've been thinking about it for a while, but I haven't searched for one because I really don't know where to find one. So, I'm going to try this out. If any of you are interested in becoming a beta for, PM me! Serious inquires only because I'm only choosing one, if I even decide to go for one at all. I haven't 100% decided yet, but I do want to improve the quality of this story. If I do choose someone, I don't know how I would repay you for being my beta. Maybe with spoilers or chances to give me ideas for my story/help me out a little?**


	34. Chapter 34: The God of Evil Arc

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **The God of Evil Arc**

 **Chapter thirty-four**

Well, it isn't totally dark.

As soon the darkness engulfs me and Sakura, we find ourselves floating over a pit of flames. The demonic, elderly woman is gone and in her place is a familiar beautiful yet terrifying man with long black hair, piercing green eyes, and a bloody, intestine-like body with similar wings and matching tail.

When I first met this guy who claims to be Jashin, he stared me down with an insane look in his eyes and with a creepy ass grin. This time, he doesn't look as amused to see me and he is glaring Sakura and I down. Like, I can sense the same killer intent radiating off of his body as last time, but that time I was too confused and frightened of my surroundings to even focus on it. Now that I have an idea of what is going on this time around, I am find it strange because you're not really suppose to feel anything while you're under a genjutsu.

Don't get me wrong, thought, I'm still scared shitless right now.

"Didn't I not punish you enough the last time?" the man questions. He glances over at Sakura and I hear her gulp. "It looks like you brought a friend along this time to suffer the consequences with you."

Okay, how's the best way to approach this? I know what is going on this time around. Unfortunately, Sakura doesn't know what to expect and she is frozen in fear right now.

I put on a brave face and narrow my eyes at "Jashin", refusing to say anything.

The last time I freaked out on him, he yelled at me and then proceeded to decapitate me into little pieces and perform inhumane acts on my body.

I really don't want to go through that again.

Jashin glowers at us. "You dare to not speak when a god is speaking to you? I WILL NOT PUT UP WITH SUCH DISOBEDIENCE! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! YOU HAVE ATTACKED MORE OF MY FOLLOWERS, HARASSED ANOTHER, INTERFERED WITH THEIR RITUALS, AND COMMITTED BLASPHEMY! YOU WILL NOT BE FORGIVEN FOR THESE SINS!"

Before Sakura and I can react, a barrage of veins shoots from his arms and they wrap themselves around our bodies. Jashin jerks his right arm and Sakura goes flying towards him, falling into his black aura, and she suddenly disappears. My eyes widen in horror and I start to struggle to break free, but these bindings are too tight. I try to manipulate my chakra to conjure up a chakra blast, but my body freezes up and I am unable to move anymore. Then, Jashin retracts his veins and pulls me closer to him. He stares at me before opening his mouth- I can feel his grip on me loosening- and throwing me inside. He swallows me whole and I plunge down his throat, eventually landing on something squishy.

I find myself able to move again and I quickly hop up to check out my surroundings. I appear to be in a forest now, but the ground beneath my feet is really bouncy and soft. I try to activate my Byakugan, but my bloodline doesn't cooperate so I start to run through the trees. However, it seems like I am only running in place, not going anywhere, as nothing around me appears to be moving. The scene changes and I'm still in a forest, but I see Sakura and Sasuke standing about twenty feet ahead of me. I try to call out to them, but my voice is lost and I find myself unable to move again.

All of a sudden, a shadowy figure shoots out of the trees, darts in between my comrades, and then returns back to it's hiding spot. As the figure goes away, my eyes flicker over to Sasuke and Sakura and I gasp. They both have crumpled to the ground and their torso have been slice opened, blood and guts pouring out of their bodies. I instinctively go to shut my eyes, but they do not obey and remain open. Then, a Jashin symbol drawn in blood randomly appears underneath their dead bodies and the shadowy figure is standing over the two. It lifts up its head to look at me and points a dark finger at me.

My body turns around on its own to see what the figure is pointing at and I notice Norio and Michi standing before me. I am in their house now and Michi is reading a book on the floor in their living room while her father is at his desk writing in a notebook. There is a knock on the front door and Michi goes to answer it for her preoccupied father. As soon as she opens the door, the same shadowy figure is revealed and the little girl screams and stumbles backwards. Norio turns his head and jumps up from his desk as he watches his daughter get slayed by this shadow stranger without the anomaly even moving. The man charges after his daughter's killer, but then he suddenly stops and his eyes widen as a hole begins to form in his chest and his heart is ripped out.

Norio's living room dissolves away and I am back in the forest. Except, this time, I am surrounded by the slaughtered bodies of Sasuke, Sakura, Norio, and Michi. My head turns on its own, slowly looking at each dead person. I look back up and see that shadow figure again standing in the distance, waving at me. My hand raises up to wave back and then my feet starts to walk towards the figure, stepping on top of Michi's body along the way. I am face to face with the figure now and it wraps its dark fingers around my neck to strangle me. Panic begins to bubble up inside of me and I start to tremble in fear.

No, calm down. This isn't real. He's just trying to torture you.

The figure starts squeezing my neck really hard and I suddenly find myself unable to breathe and my lungs start to hurt.

What… what is going on?! I'm not suppose to feel any pain!

My vision goes blurry as I feel my lungs continue to expand with unreleased oxygen.

You gotta move, Hinata. Move!

I try to concentrate and channel whatever willpower I may have to move my arms, shift my neck around, kick my legs. Anything. But, my body won't comply.

Then, the figure let's go and I drop to the ground, breathing heavily. The shadow pulls out a kunai from somewhere and bends down to slash my neck open, but fades away before it is able to do so. Even though I can't go anywhere, I find myself able to wiggle my fingers and toes and I somehow know that this genjutsu is ending. My surroundings turn red briefly before I go unconcious.

* * *

My eyes flutter open and I swiftly blink to get rid of my blurry vision. When my vision clears up, I notice that Sasuke is standing over me with his Sharingan activated. I go to sit up, but a wave of nausea overwhelms me so I remain lying.

"Stay still," Sasuke orders.

"Where am I?" I ask. "Where's Sakura?"

"Over there."

I turn my head to my left and see that Sakura is sitting up, but she appears to be in a daze as her lips are slightly puckered out and her eyes are half-lidded.

"It doesn't look like she took her genjutsu session very well," I say to Sasuke.

Sasuke shakes his head and deactivates his Sharingan. "I had to break her free first. She kept on screaming and flailing around underwater while you remained completely still. I was afraid water was going to enter her lungs so I pulled her out first and had Michi watch over you until she had calmed down."

I give Sasuke a puzzled look. "Break her free?"

Sasuke nods. "Yes, with my Sharingan. With it, I have the ability to break out of most genjutsu. The one you guys were under is a very powerful one. It took me several tries to break it."

Is that why I saw red before passing out? Is it because the Sharingan was finally successful in breaking me out?

It makes sense.

"Besides, why would you and Sakura dunk yourselves underwater?" Sasuke questions, arching an eyebrow.

"A dunk in the hot springs helped me get out of the genjutsu last time," I admit. "Michi said as soon as she put me underwater, I quit freaking out and calmed down."

Sasuke squints his eyes at me. "Well, the only thing it did this time is almost drown the two of you."

Drown the two of us? Maybe that's why I couldn't breathe during my genjutsu. I had spent too much time underwater without anybody realizing until perhaps Sakura started to flail around.

"How did you know we were in trouble?" I ask.

"I heard Michi scream you guy's names and then she shouted for me to come," Sasuke explains. Then, he frowns. "In order to enter the women's spa, I disguised myself as a woman and got you and Sakura out of there."

Wait… does that mean he saw us naked?! Sakura would totally freak out if she knew that her crush saw her naked. She's too out of it right now to really hear any of this but, I'm just going to pretend that I never thought of this.

"Speaking of Michi, where is she?"

"I told her to get dressed and grab your and Sakura's clothes," Sasuke answers. "We need to report his back to Norio. Did anything strange happen before you guys were out?"

"Not really," I reply. "Sakura and I were just chatting when she noticed an old woman glaring at us. I turn to see what was going on and realized that it was same the same woman as before. Except, she appeared more hostile and demonic this time around and charged after us. We didn't have much time to react so I just grabbed Sakura and plunged ourselves underwater in an attempt to avoid any genjutsu. Which, obviously didn't work. I guess a person is under the genjutsu once the old woman appears because everyone else seemed to be oblivious of her and her actions."

"What I want to know is how in the hell did you two get a genjutsu casted on you?" Sasuke wonders.

I shrug. "I don't understand. We haven't been around any enemies and we didn't sense any unusual chakra at the springs. Even if the caster is good at concealing themselves and I didn't have my Byakugan activated, Sakura is pretty good at picking up on genjutsu and breaking them before the illusion even starts."

"Maybe it has something to do with the springs?" Sasuke guesses. "You mentioned that you were here the first time you went under the genjutsu and I'm assuming you were under the same one again."

I nod. "It was. 'Jashin' was there again, but the illusion was different this time. I will explain more about it later once we regroup with Norio."

The genjutsu I was in this time was different from the last one, but I was still tortured either way. Except, this time around, it seems like "Jashin" was trying to show me what would happened if we kept searching for this woman.

I don't know what the fuck is going on, but it is really getting on my last damn nerves.

* * *

After explaining what happened to Norio and rationalizing out different theories, we come up with zero answers and even more confusion. Norio decides to send another report to Konoha and the officials of Yugakure to get their opinion on everything. After this frustrating conversation, Sakura, Sasuke, and I head back to the hotel to retire early for the night. Despite feeling a little emotionally drained, I feel fine compared to Sakura. She is still in a little daze and appears really tired so she is ready to get some sleep. So, now, everyone is in their beds for the night and I am in mine, but I cannot sleep. I have a lot of thoughts racing through my mind.

Norio had said that the genjutsu couldn't be connected to the springs because him and Michi had never experienced anything like that before and no one else has ever reported they had. If the springs have nothing to do with the genjutsu, then what is going on? Who is casting this genjutsu? Obviously, it has be to Jashin or a follower of Jashin since "Jashin" appears within the genjutsu. Even when I try not to think about the genjutsu, I keep thinking about unresolved questions. Where is this woman? Why does she seem to be one step ahead of us? Is there even a hideout where the followers of Jashin can go hide at after a killing to avoid getting caught?

Okay, let's try to piece together all of the evidence and information I have so far.

Currently, there are three followers of Jashin that have been captured and those three seem too loyal to their god to reveal any information. While they come across as immortal, it is only to an extent since they seem to be slowly dying now despite being put back together and having nutrients added to their bodies. Thus, the theory, for now, is that the seals within their bodies are keeping them immortal, but they have to kill and perform these rituals in return to remain immortal. Plus, the theory corroborated by Hidan and the two other men desperately repeating that they need to kill. Even if a person enjoys killing, no one is that desperate to want to kill someone unless there is a bigger reasoning behind it.

At first, I figured it didn't matter who you kill as long as you kill enough to remain immortal. Quantity over quality. If that is the case, then maybe that is why the woman killed all of those kids, besides to send us a message, why Hidan wanted to take on four children and two adults, and why those two men wanted to fight the Yugakure and Konoha Shinobi. Is it because the more people that are sacrificed to Jashin the happier he is with you and you keep your immortality? Why does he need so many sacrifices in his name anyways?

But, as I think more about it, could it be quality over quantity? Both? Maybe it doesn't even matter at all.

The woman appears to be a brutal killer, but a careful one. It turns out, all of those children were orphaned. Did she specifically choose orphaned children so more people wouldn't come looking for her? If my quantity over quality hypothesis is correct, wouldn't she want to kill children who weren't orphaned so their families could come seeking out the murderer for revenge? That would be a whole lot more people for her to kill. Maybe it is quantity over quality, but also quality over quantity. If she is able to kill someone like me, Sasuke, or Sakura, are we worth more than a group of children? What is a person's worth in Jashin's eyes? Age? Gender? Height? Experience? Chakra level? The number of jutsus a person knows?

Despite all of this, the message that the woman left us indicates that she knows we are specifically looking for her now. I don't think she believes it is still a bunch of Yugakure officials like Norio searching for her, but she knows that the three of us have been hired to go after her. Has she been spying on us? I haven't sensed her or anybody else during our searches. Does she possess a technique that is able to see far distances like my Byakugan in order to spy on us? Is she able to hide herself from my Byakugan? Does she spy on us and then act out at night?

Norio told us that those children had to been killed sometime during the night or the early morning. What if she is somehow spying on us during the day, tracking to see which areas we are searching for and then killing at night? What if we were close to finding their hideout so she decided to distract us by killing those children? Is it a coincidence that we stumbled upon those children hours after they were slaughtered? We were following a pattern of starting in the most densest areas of the forest and then working our way down. Had she figured out where we would be searching next and planned her attack? What if their hideout is near the area where we found the children and the children were a distraction to prevent us from searching around any further?

I sit up in my bed.

If Norio said that those children were killed sometime during the night or the early morning, wouldn't that mean she is on the move during the night? I mean, our searches that we conduct during the day haven't been to successful. What would we find if we investigate while it is dark?

I fling my bedsheets aside, hop out of bed, and start to strip out of my pajamas.

I have to see if I'm right.

I throw on my clothes and tiptoe out of the room and into the hallway to knock on Sasuke's door. After a few seconds, he opens it with a guarded look even though I know he just woke up.

"What?" he hisses.

I wave my hand. "Let me in. I think I figured something out."

Sasuke allows me to come in and he shuts the door behind me. He flickers on the lights and we both sit downs so I can explain.

"I mean, I don't see any harm in going out to search right now," Sasuke says to me after I finish. "We were never told we had to strictly conduct our investigations during the daytime."

I nod my head. "Exactly. Which is why I think she is on the move at night because she knows we're not looking."

Sasuke stands up. "Well, give me a minute to change and we can leave."

I step into the hallway to allow him some privacy and after a short wait meets me.

"Is Sakura not coming?" Sasuke whispers.

I shake my head. "No, I'm going to let her rest. When I experienced the genjutsu for the first time, I was out for a few hours and felt terrible afterwards. She hasn't recovered enough yet to keep up with us right now."

Sasuke nods in understanding and we head off towards one of the front gates. There is only two entrances that lead into Yugakure and both gates remain open during the day and night for tourists who travel there at any point during the day. However, it is guarded by one previous Yuga Shinobi for each gate. Every official knows that we are here on business for their village, so we are able to leave Yugakure during the night without any confrontation from the guards.

As soon as we set foot outside of the village, we stop moving to quickly devise a plan.

"I think we should split up to cover more ground since we are just searching for the enemy and not fighting her," I suggest to Sasuke. "I can create two Shadow Clones and one can follow you to help expand your search with the Byakugan while the other can act in Sakura's spot and help us search. If I or my clone finds anything, your clone will poof away and we will all meet back at this gate. If you find anything Sasuke, dissipate my clone so I can know that you did and we will meet back at this gate. We will meet at this gate by sunrise if we don't find anything."

"Sounds fine by me," Sasuke replies.

"Good," I say and cross my hands together to create two Shadow Clones. "Okay, Sasuke, you and this clone will search in the area where the children were murdered. She can seek out any disturbances in the air for any signs of genjutsu for you to break. The other clone and I will be searching in the areas closer towards Yugakure."

"Okay."

We split up with me heading for the area that we investigated on the third day. Even though we thoroughly combed the area, the woman may have come back to dispose a body. She won't expect us to search the area again. It is only three miles away from here so I arrive no time. While I investigate here, my clone is starting her search in the area where the fight with those two men happened.

After a while of searching and not finding too much, I suddenly receive the memories from a Shadow Clone.

" _Stop!" the Shadow Clone abruptly whispered as she and Sasuke came to a halt._

" _What do you see?" Sasuke whispered back._

 _Up ahead, with her Byakugan, the Shadow Clone detected a tall woman with shoulder length black hair and narrow blue eyes. The same woman that matches the description of the woman they've been looking for these past few days._

" _I see her," the clone replied._

 _Suddenly, the woman snapped her head towards the direction of Sasuke and Hinata's Shadow Clone and mumbles something unintelligible to the clone. The woman lifts up a finger and the clone watches as the woman's chakra flowing within her slows down until it is barely traveling through her body. Then, the woman uses Transformation Jutsu to henge into a rabbit and takes off in their direction._

" _She is heading our way, but she seems to be doing something with her chakra," the Shadow Clone informed Sasuke. "She has transformed into a rabbit. So, I don't know what she is up to."_

" _We can't confront her unless she attacks us first, so let's just continue our search and act like we don't notice her," Sasuke said._

 _The two of them go back to searching and the rabbit shows up two minutes later hiding underneath a bush, watching the two of them and following closely._

 _This is strange, the clone thought. I know she is there because of my Byakugan, but I cannot sense her presence. It is as if her chakra is non-existent. Is it because she stilled her chakra flow earlier?_

 _After walking around aimlessly for a bit, the Shadow Clone notices the air up ahead to be wavering in some places. Before she can quietly tell Sasuke what she just discovered, the rabbit transformed back into a human and leaped out of the bushes. The Shadow Clone immediately whirled around and goes to strike the woman in the chest. She flickered out of the way, pushed the clone towards a tree, and sticks a kunai to her neck. All of this happened within seconds and Sasuke didn't even realize what was going on until he heard the thumping sound of Hinata's clone being slammed into a tree. He activated his Sharingan, but doesn't move a muscle._

" _You guys have been given many, many chances," the woman growled. "Now, you're going to die."_

 _Before the clone can defend herself, the woman sliced the kunai through Hinata's clone's throat and the Shadow Clone disappears._

Damnit! They've found her and she's already on the offensive!

I take off running at top speed. As I approach the area, I see with my Byakugan that Sasuke is wildly turning his head and body around, as if he is searching for someone. I notice that the woman is perched on a tree limb, hiding from Sasuke. As I get closer, I watch the woman turn her attention towards me briefly and then leaps off the branch. She soars down towards Sasuke, pulls out a kunai, and slashes it across Sasuke's cheek and shoulder. Since Sasuke didn't sense her coming, he takes the attack head on and stumbles backwards, wiping the blood off his cheek and grabbing his injured shoulder.

As that happens, I arrive on the scene just in time for the woman to land on the ground, spin around, then charge at me. I slide into a defensive stance, but then I watch as the woman holds the kunai to her mouth and licks the blood right off of it.

No! She has Sasuke's blood in her system! She-

My thoughts are cut short as she punched me square in the face and I crash to the ground. She jumps over my fallen body and continues running through the forest.

Damn, that bitch is fast. And, she distracted me! She isn't standing over a Jashin symbol so her licking Sasuke's blood doesn't mean anything.

I can't believe I let her trick me.

"Get up, Hinata!" Sasuke yells as he hurries over to me. "We need to go after her!"

I come back to my senses, jump up, and proceed to chase after the woman along with Sasuke. We keep up with her using my Byakugan, because of her ability to mask her chakra presence. But, being able to see her isn't going to make a difference if we can't keep up with her though. She's very quick!

After a few minutes of chasing her, I see that she suddenly stops and I signal to Sasuke to slow down. As we do so, I expand my vision further to see why she stopped. The woman flings the bloody kunai through the bushes and trees and I notice that another woman from the other side catches it, spins the kunai around with her fingers, and then licks the tip of the blade. Her skin instantly turns black and white markings appear on her face and throughout her body.

This woman looks exactly like the woman we've been chasing.

And, she is standing on a Jashin symbol that has been drawn into the ground.

"Move faster!" I order Sasuke.

We increase our movement once more. The first woman senses us coming and she spins around and goes to meet us halfway. I create two Shadow Clones to deal with her while Sasuke and I take on the second woman. The first woman changes courses to avoid the clones, but my clones are smarter than that. One Shadow Clone jumps in front of her and knocks the enemy back with a chakra blast. The second Shadow Clone gets behind the woman to strike her in the back, but then she backflips over my clone to avoid the attack. The second Shadow Clone spins around and shoots out chakra blades from both of her hands, manipulating them to wrap themselves around the woman's ankles. The woman jumps into the air and the chakra blades follow her.

While the Shadow Clones deal with her, Sasuke and I run through the bushes to pursue the other woman. She doesn't budge an inch as we approach her, but we keep our distance since we aren't sure of her abilities. Sasuke and I just have to make sure that she doesn't harm herself with that kunai. As we stare her down, I notice movement in the top corner of my vision and I look up to see various animals glaring at us. I swiftly focus on each animal, counting fifteen in total, and realize that they have the same chakra patterns as the two women we've been worrying about.

I'm going to go ahead and guess that these animals, and the woman that my clones are fighting, are Shadow Clones, or some type of clone that is equivalent to a Shadow Clone, and that the woman standing in front of us is the real one. She is using her her clones, the _Transformation Jutsu_ , and whatever technique she is using to disguise her chakra to perform her kill without being caught.

Which mean, it is highly likely she has been spying on us this whole time and I just bypassed her with my Byakugan because why would I care about a damn rabbit or any other small critter?

On top of all that, she is very quick on her feet and and seems very intelligent.

She has to be a follower of Jashin that's been eluding us.

But, her clone attacked my clone earlier. Why would she do that? I remember my clone noting that their is something strange going on with the air up ahead. Were Sasuke and my clone nearing a hidden hideout and the clone didn't want them to get any closer to discover it?

"Surely, you've figured it out by now with those annoying eyes of yours," the woman suddenly says to us.

With her choice of words, one would think she was irritated. But, her expression is calm and collected.

She is the total opposite of Hidan.

I narrow my eyes at her. "I have."

Sasuke gives the woman a look of annoyance then alarm and starts to search his surroundings with this Sharingan. "What is she talking about?" he hisses towards me.

"You can't sense them, but she has us surrounded with fifteen clones of hers," I explain to Sasuke, not taking my eyes off the small army above me.

Sasuke follows my gaze, but I know he still doesn't see them.

"And, if you two come any closer, they will attack you," the woman warns us. She holds up the kunai and points it towards her chest. "It's a shame I didn't get your blood and received his instead. Jashin-sama wants you dead over anybody else. That boy is just too pretty to kill so quickly. I would've liked to gotten to toy with him a bit before giving him up to Jashin. Oh, well."

Before she can move the kunai another inch, I pull out a shuriken and hurl towards the weapon. It whizzes forward and knocks the kunai right out of her hands, causing it to fall to the ground. The woman looks at me sideways, but her cool expression remains intact.

"Any plans?" Sasuke mumbles underneath his breath.

"You're faster and stronger than I am so you should focus on her while I take on the clones," I mutter back. "Remember that any harm you cause towards her, you will experience as well. Try to get her out of that symbol and then decapitate her. "

Sasuke nods in understanding and locks eyes with his enemy, clenching his fists. Then, he takes off after the woman. His movement triggers the clones from above and they all transform out of their henge and all jump down at once. I charge straight into the middle of them and start waving my hands around, creating a chakra barrier.

" _Protective Eight Trigrams: Sixty-four Palms!"_

Seven out of the fifteen clones collide with my barrier and instantly poof away. The eight remaining clones land on the ground around me and half start to go after Sasuke. I flicker over to the clone leading the small pack and I start attack the three clones with my palms, causing they to dissipate. I charge after the last five clones before they can react and shoot out two chakra blades to impale two of them. I break my connection with the blades and jump into the center of the trio of clones. I start to manipulate my chakra flow to spread out throughout my body as I begin to pump my tenketsu to open and shut. I feel my chakra start to waver and vibrate and then I release a mini chakra blast infused with lightning towards my opponents. The lightning blast makes contact with the clones and I watch as the lightning surges through their bodies and they disappear with a poof. As I turn around to join the fight with Sasuke, I receive the memories of the two Shadow Clones and find out that they have gotten rid of the woman's clone.

Good, that means what we have to worry about now is strictly her.

The woman realizes this, too, from her clone's memories and I see her calm, cool, and collected facade shatter and her upper lip curls inward.

It doesn't seem like she's used to fighting her opponent's face to face and thought her clones would've been enough to stop us. Yes, she's very quick on her feet and is able to easily mask her chakra to hide, but that isn't enough to defeat an Uchiha and a Hyūga who possesses powerful dōjutsus.

As I run over to join the fight with Sasuke, she notices me coming. She blocks a kick from Sasuke, jumps away, and skids backwards to the edge of her circle. She pulls out two smoke bombs from her weapons pouch and throws them on the ground, causing a black smokescreen to form. Not knowing what she is up to, I watch her like a hawk and then I charge in after her. Despite being in the smoke, she sidesteps me with ease and I spin around to strike her in the shoulder. She evades my palm and I drop to the ground to bring my leg around to sweep her off her feet. She jumps into the air to get out of the way and I bring my leg to kick her. She performs a mid-air backflip to dodge the kick, lands on the ground, and pushes off to tackle me. I knock her back with a chakra blast and then flicker forward to get closer to her. She quickly recovers and swiftly extends her arm out to grab my neck and slams me onto the ground.

Then, she let's go of me to leap backwards and starts to cross her fingers together. I try to stop her by shooting out chakra blades to restrict her movement, but she dances around them and creates fifteen more clones. The clones create a human barrier around their caster to protect her and I watch as she pulls out two flash bombs attached to a kunai. She hurls each one towards Sasuke and I and lifts up her finger. As the kunai lands beside of us, the flash bomb detonates and a blinding light explodes out of it.

And, when I mean a blinding light I'm not exaggerating. Mine and Sasuke's eyes are already extra sensitive to light and movement when our bloodlines are activated and which means our eyes have a higher chance of getting damaged.

I deactivate my Byakugan to close my eyes and shield them with my hands. As the light shines throughout the forest, I hear a painful scream come from Sasuke. I staggered up from the ground and blindly stumbled over to Sasuke's position. As I reach him, the light fades away and I am safely able to see again. I rub my eyes, open them, and gasp as I see Sasuke grasping his hip. His shirt is already getting drenched in blood and I can tell there is a deep and wide gash on his hip.

I snap my head over to the direction where the woman originally was, but she is gone, along with most of her clones. Only five clones were left behind to deal with us.

"Our lady was just going to kill the boy and then deal with you, but you've probably figured out she isn't the best at close combat," one of the clones says to me with a sneer. "So, she decided to have the boy slowly bleed out while we play with you two long enough for her to get away."

Which means she probably using those other clones as protection and to heal her while she runs off since she's bleeding pretty badly herself right now. She has some pretty durable clones if she's able to greatly harm herself and they remain intact.

But, like hell I'm going to let her get away!

I go to create two Shadow Clones when Sasuke reaches out and grab my arm.

"Let me handle this," Sasuke says to me. "You go after the woman. You're the only one who can catch up to her. If she gets away, we may never find her again."

I narrow my eyes at him. "You're not in any condition to fight right now!"

I have to make a quick decision here as the leader. Do I go after her while Sasuke fights these clones or do Sasuke and I retreat? I just said I wouldn't let her get away, but Sasuke needs medical treatment now. If I did catch up to the woman, I would have to fight her and ten clones and she's already proven to be quick on her feet. Sasuke and I haven't been able to land a single punch or kick on her. If we retreat, she may get away and start killing even more people now to get back at us. But, I don't think we'll not ever find her again because I'm pretty sure that odd area my clone found earlier is a hidden hideout or something else is important is there. That has to be the reason why she attacked us when she knows she's not a close range fighter.

I create two Shadow Clones and order them to take on the five clones while I reach down to pick up Sasuke.

"Damn, you're heavier than Shikamaru," I mumble as I lift him up.

Sasuke scowls at me. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Making a decision as the leader of this squad," I reply and then I take off into the forest.

"She's getting away!" I hear one of the woman's clone shout, but I hear some scuffling and know that my Shadow Clones have everything under control.

"Why are you retreating?" Sasuke snaps. "If you're worried about me, don't, because I'm fine!"

"Retreating is the best option for now," I calmly tell him as I focus more on moving fast enough to get back to Yugakure, but not fast enough to hurt Sasuke. "We can get you healed and then devise a plan to stop the woman since we know how she fights now."

"How do you know that we'll see her again after this?!" Sasuke questions. "She's going to try and avoid us now!"

I take a deep breathe. "Just trust me, alright? How's your hip?"

Sasuke frowns. "I told you I'm fine."

I roll my eyes. "Fine. Stay stubborn."

"... Do you have to carry me?"

"Yes."

"Put me down."

"No."

"Whatever."

As we travel back to Yugakure, I keep my Byakugan activated the whole time to make sure we aren't being followed. When we get about two miles away from Yugakure, I receive the memories from my Shadow Clones. They didn't exactly win their fight with the clones, but it appears that the woman recalled the clones back after a while of fighting. She must be in safe enough place now to rest and recover.

We finally make it to Yugakure and the first place I go to is the hospital. It isn't as nice or advanced as the hospital back in Konoha, but I'm pretty sure they can patch up a gash and stop the bleeding. While Sasuke gets looked at, I quickly round up Sakura and Norio to meet me back at the hospital. Norio has to bring Michi along since it is the middle of the night and he has no one to watch her, but she falls asleep in the waiting room while we all go check on Sasuke. As soon as we enter Sasuke's room, Sakura gasps from seeing Sasuke wounds and runs over to him. She doesn't smother him with a hug like I expected her to, but she does place a hand on his uninjured shoulder.

"Are you okay, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asks, her voice filled with worry.

"I'm fine," Sasuke grumbles, but he doesn't shrug the girl's hand away.

Norio adjusts his glasses. "Hinata told me what happened. I'm glad the two of you made it back in an overall good condition. Most people can't say they fought an immortal and survived."

I raise my hand up. "I've done it twice," I announce, trying to make things a little light hearted. Nobody laughs or cracks a smile so I just shrug.

It isn't my fault that they aren't as awesome as I am.

"But," I say, in a more serious tone. "This woman is highly dangerous. She seems to have the ability to completely mask her chakra. She also combines this with the _Transformation Jutsu_ to henge herself as a small mammal so she can blend in with the forest. This maybe why none of us have been able to sense her and she may have been watching here and there. Like I told you two already, my Shadow Clone and Sasuke found the woman first, but she attacked first once my clone noticed an odd change in the air. This leads me to believe that they were close to a hideout or something too important to the woman that she felt the need to attack, despite not being a close-range fighter. Which is also why I think she escaped because she probably guessed Sasuke and I could eventually overwhelm her together after awhile once we knocked her out of the symbol.

"However, now she is out recovering and probably very angry with us. She didn't kill off Sasuke when she had the chance to for some reason, but maybe that goes back to the whole sacrificing thing. Is it quantity over quality, quality over quantity, or both? There could be a totally different reason. Whatever the reason is, we know she is still out there and she is highly dangerous. Norio, I suggest that you go tell the official, your leader, or whoever you need to speak with that they really need to close their gate. Nobody should be allowed to leave the village and word should get spread out throughout the country and the surroundings countries that no one should travel to Yugakure until it is deemed safe. I promise this will not hurt your economy since it should be for only a few days. What will hurt your economy is if that woman, or other Jashinists, keeps going around and killing travelers. Over time, all of your tourists will either be slaughtered or to afraid to visit Yugakure to see the springs."

Norio rubs his chin. "You are absolutely right and I will see what I can do. I may need to have you three, or even just you Hinata, to back me up. I know Yugakure hired you three to figure out what is going on, but I don't know if they'll want to shut the gates. Yugakure makes a lot of money everyday just from people visiting the springs and shopping in our stores. If we shut down for even a few days, we'll lose a lot of money." He drops his hand. "Besides, it sounds like you are insinuating that you are going to stop this woman yourself. Are you allowed to do that now that she has attacked you first?"

I open my mouth to respond, but then I shut it, feeling stumped.

Are we even allowed to pursuit this woman with a counterattack since she has attacked us first? Tsunade never really elaborated on that. She just mentioned that we could fight the enemy if we were approached first. She never said anything about not having a rematch with them.

I nod. "Yes, I am insinuating that we are going to stop this woman. I still want Hokage-sama informed of what happened, but we don't have time to wait for days to receive clarification from her. As of now, I am under the impression that we still have the right to go after this woman since she attacked us first and then retreated. We have already done part of our mission of finding this woman, now we just have to stop her so we can finish the other part of our mission and find that hideout without getting in our way."

Norio smirks. "You're brave, kid. I can see what you got promoted to a Chunin. You seem to know when to pursue something and when to not. Alright, I will go to the council tomorrow to propose your request. You guys can come with me if you want."

"I'll go with you," I tell him. "I want to better so I can better explain things and try to get them to realize how dire this situation is." I turn to Sakura and Sasuke. "I want the other of you to rest all day tomorrow. Sakura, I know you're still exhausted and you need to heal your wound, Sasuke. When I get back, we can talk strategy and figure out what we need to do to stop this woman."

I am determined to stop this woman, save this village from the terrors of Jashin, and successfully complete my first mission as a squad leader.

And, no immortal or god is going to stop me.

 **Author's Note: This chapter was going to be longer, but I had to rewrite it after my power went out due to a storm and my laptop died without me being able to save my work…. It was terrible. But, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter because shit is getting real now.**

 **On another note, did you guys watch the first episode of Boruto? I did and I can say that I actually enjoyed it. It makes me want to watch more to see how to progresses.**


	35. Chapter 35: The God of Evil Arc

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **The God of Evil Arc**

 **Chapter thirty-five**

Norio meets me in front of the hotel the next morning and he leads me into the heart of Yugakure to talk to whoever we need to about my idea. Before we left, I summoned a Shadow Clone to watch over Sasuke and Sakura as they recover and to keep a lookout for the woman incase she tries to come around.

"How did your report go last night?" I ask Norio as we walk.

Norio takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes. "Just like any other report that I write I suppose. I just had to write it so late last night and I didn't get a wink of sleep. Those reports aren't easy to write. You have to write down every single detail about the incident and then add in your own suggestions or concerns."

"I know how you feel," I tell Norio. "After any mission we go on, we have to turn in a very detailed report about what went on. I know reports are important, but I don't see the point in turning in a report on a mission where I had to babysit triplets."

Norio chuckles. "That's an oddly specific example."

You wouldn't be laughing if you had those hellions as your sons.

We approach a beige three-story building and walk through its doors. I follow Norio up to the front desk and he starts speaking to the blond receptionist behind it. After a brief conversation, she gives us directions we need and we head up to the top floor. We make our way over to the double doors at the end of the hallway and Norio knocks twice before opening the door slowly to peek his head in.

"I hope you're not asleep!" Norio calls out and I scrunch my face up in confusion.

Why would a government official, or the leader of Yugakure, be napping when we're supposed to be meeting with him?

"I don't know what you're talking about," a male's voice says back in a too innocent of a voice. Norio pushes the door wide open to reveal me standing behind him. I find myself staring back at a slightly overweight man with sandy blonde hair and wearing a dark suit. He arches an eyebrow. "You brought a guest?"

Norio nods. "She's one of the Shinobi from Konohagakure that you hired."

The man's face brightens up. "Ah, yes! Thank you for accepting our request when I know you must've had plenty of other things going on."

"It is no problem," I reply."It is just part of our duties as Shinobi. Plus, we fell in love with your village during our first visit here so I did not mind coming back."

The man gives me a sympathetic smile. "I hope this trip is treating just as well as your last one."

"Well, we've had some complications as you may already be aware of," I say. "But, the last trip wasn't a walk in the park either so it is nothing to fret about."

"We are actually here due to another complication," Norio informs the man. "Your receptionist told us that you were free until lunch and sent us on up. We have some important stuff to discuss with you, Hiroki."

Hmm, Norio is acting pretty laid-back with his man. But, this Hiroki guy must be the leader of Yugakure if he's the one that hired us. I wonder if those two are friends?

Hiroki sighs and beckons us to come in. Norio closes the door behind us and we both occupy the two chairs that are sitting in front of Hiroki's desk.

"What happened this time?" he asks, furrowing his eyebrows together in frustration.

Norio slides off his grey backpack, that he apparently always seems to carry despite not traveling, and pulls out a thick folder. "I created a copy of the report that I send back to Konoha. You may want to spend a few minutes looking over it."

Norio created a _copy_ of the report that he sent to Tsunade? That folder is thick as hell! No wonder he didn't get any sleep last night. You know, I can't recall a lot of things from my old life. However, I do remember computers and printer and someone in this universe needs to go ahead and invent those things for poor Norio! I mean, it would be pretty cool if I did, but I wasn't never good with computers so I wouldn't know where to start.

Damn, Hinata. Focus on the topic at hand! We don't like traveling down memory lane, remember?

Hiroki takes the folder from Norio and starts to glance over it. After a short while, he sighs heavily and tosses down the folder.

"I assume something is going to be swifty done about this woman, correct?" Hiroki questions, mostly towards me.

"Yes, sir," I say. "My comrades and I are going to come up with a plan after this meeting and then set off in the morning."

Hiroki narrows his eyes. "Good. These Jashinists are going to eventually scare off all of our villagers and tourist if they keep their antics up. A few of our people have already moved away once they heard what Hidan had done to his neighbors. We can only cover up their messes for so long."

"Which is why I would like to propose something," I alert the man. I shift my eyes over towards Norio and he gives me a nod.

Hiroki eyes the both of us. "Yes?"

I clear my throat. "I believe that the safest way to protect Yugakure and everybody within its walls is to close the gates and forbid anyone from leaving. It would only be for a couple of days while we deal with this matter."

I was originally going to suggest informing the surrounding countries about this decision but I backed out on that thought. They would want to know what is going on, but I highly doubt Yugakure and Tsunade would want to explain what is going on. We are trying to stop Jashin and his followers. Some countries might take advantage of the situation and try to capture the Jashinists for their own needs once they learn that these people are immortal.

Hiroki gives me a conflicted look. "I cannot just close up the gates and force all of these tourists to remain in the village. Our hotels are always booked and people enter and leave the village every single day. If a tourist is due to leave soon they might not have the money to stay another night or two. And, most likely, another tourist is on their way to occupy their room once they leave. It is very common for tourists to book rooms ahead of time for their next trip back. If we tell the tourists who are already here that they have to stay, what do we do about the travelers that are on their way here? I know you mean well, but I cannot possibly go through with your request."

Shit. I had a feeling that he wasn't going to agree with my idea. But, I do understand where he is coming from. At least he just proved to me he's a good leader by thinking more about his people and not mentioning anything about losing money.

"I understand," I reply. "Thank you for hearing me out."

Hiroki shakes his head. "It is no problem. Like I said, I know you mean well. I'll try to protect my village to the best of my ability from my side while you continue on doing what you've been doing. I'll boost up security or something."

We converse for a few more minutes before we dismiss ourselves and head back to the hotel.

"I apologize that things didn't go the way you wanted them to," Norio says to me.

I shrug. "No, it is fine. I understand his reasonings for denying my request. We just have to hurry and deal with this woman, and whoever we need to handle, before anybody else gets killed."

Norio nods in agreement. "For a situation like this, this would be a great time for Yugakure to be a Shinobi village once more. Most of our previous Shinobi have either found other jobs, are traveling, retired, or serve as guards."

"You don't have to answer if I am prying too much, but shouldn't a previous Jonin or an advanced Chunin be assigned to help us out?" I ask. "Even though they aren't labeled Shinobi anymore, they were trained to become one and are still skilled."

"That would make sense, but, if I must be honest, the Shinobi in Yugakure aren't as strong as those from Konohagakure," Norio admits. "While we did start out as a Shinobi village, it wasn't encouraged to become one. We didn't have to rely much on missions to boost our economy because we've always had our springs. Tourism alone is what keep this village alive and running. Plus, we are a small village to begin with so we've always had a few allies to lean on if we were ever in trouble. After many years, it was realized that we are actually losing more money from having to pay our Shinobi high amounts of money after they completed a mission so we just got rid of the whole system. We only had about hundred Shinobis anyways and they found different lifestyles once we made the change. The few that wanted to remain Shinobi, they were given permission to continue so in another village, which was Konoha."

I raise my eyebrows. "Really? That's interesting to know. But, why didn't Hidan just become a Shinobi in another village?"

Norio sighs. "There is very a clear cut answer when it comes to Hidan. As I told you before, he was orphaned as a child and was shunned by most people because of his attention seeking actions and obnoxious personality. He's always been aggressive and enjoyed killing, even before getting involved with all of this Jashin business. To answer your questions, I would assume he wasn't given permission, he was just that loyal to the village, or he found Jashin first."

If Norio hadn't told me that Hidan always enjoyed killing, maybe I would've felt bad for Hidan. Being shunned by a village can cause severe psychological damage to a child. Gaara is a great example, once you ignore the other factors like his father constantly trying to murder him. Naruto is just one of the luckier ones that doesn't have a mean bone in his body. You know, maybe we should start paying more attention to the orphans and to the children that are treated badly. We don't need anymore little shits growing up to become murderous assholes.

"So, is Hiroki over Yugakure?" I ask Norio, trying to change the subject.

Norio nods. "Yes, he is. He actually took over shortly after Yugakure disbanded from their Shinobi ways so he's only been in the leadership position for a few months now. Our previous leader was a Shinobi so he figured if Yugakure is changing their ways than they should have a leader that isn't a Shinobi. Besides, he was getting up there in age anyways. It was time for him to retire."

"That make sense. You and Hiroki seem close, though."

Norio smiles. "You are correct. We've been buddies since childhood. We were next door nehibbors as young children and just grew close." Norio scratches the back of his head. "He's a really good and intelligent guy, but the man loves to sleep more than anything. I've caught him sleeping on the job more than once."

I smirk. "So, that's why you told him you hope he isn't sleeping."

Norio chuckles. "Correct. He can be a handful at times. But, he's a really great leader. He kind of reminds me of your friend Shikamaru."

Speaking of Shikamaru, I wonder how he is faring on his mission? He better not be acting too lazy around his squad members.

Norio finishes walking me back to the hotel and we bid farewell as he heads back to his house. I make my way up to my room and swing open the door. I find Sakura in her bed reading a book, Sasuke lying in my bed on his back with his eyes shut, and my Shadow Clone just chilling by the window. As soon as I step into the room and close the door behind me everyone shifts their attention over towards me.

I wave. "Hey, guys. Were you two good for my clone while I was gone?"

Sakura rolls her eyes in response as Sasuke just squints at me. I shrug and lift up a finger to get rid of my clone. Her memories come flooding through my mind and I see that my clone didn't see nothing out of the ordinary. It has been a rather peaceful morning for them.

"How did your meeting go?" Sakura asks me as she closes her book and scoots over to sit at the edge of the bed. Sasuke sits up at the same time and awaits for my response.

I frown. "The leader, Hiroki, took my request into consideration. Unfortunately, he denied my idea, but he gave me a good reason as to why he did. We all know that tourism is a big deal in this village and people are constantly coming in and out. It would be difficult, and rather unfair, to keep these travelers from leaving Yugakure because some may not have the money to stay an extra few days while incoming travelers have that same room booked as soon as that person leaves."

"And, they can't exactly close the gates on tourists trying to get into Yugakure," Sakura chimes in. "This sucks. What do we do now?"

"Well, he did say that he's going to tighten security," I tell her. "But, that isn't going to do anybody any good if that woman is able to completely mask her chakra and hides behind a _Transformation Jutsu_."

"We'll just have to nip all of this in the butt as soon as possible," Sasuke says. "We don't have much time to waste."

I huff. "I know that. We are know how the woman fights and we can at least search for her with my Byakugan since I memorized her chakra patterns. We just need to come up with a plan on how to deal with her and we need to check out the area that you and my clone stumbled upon before you two were ambushed."

"The woman would be expecting us to do that so we would have to be on high alert."

"I'll just have my Byakugan activated at all times. I can have my Shadow Clones help lookout while the three of us check out the area. There were some spots in the air and trees that wavered so I'm pretty sure something is hidden there other a strong genjutsu. But, I'm pretty sure I can find a weak point within the genjutsu and have you and Sakura shatter it."

"And, if we are able to break through the genjutsu and we find a hideout?" Sakura questions.

"I'll see how much of the hideout I can search before we enter," I tell her. "I will only be able to see so far into it if the hideout goes deep underground. If only the woman is in the hideout or nearby, we will go ahead and take her on. If there is anybody else in the hideout, at least more than two people, we will back out and just search for the woman. We can possibly ambush two people, but we can't forget these people are immortal. They will never get exhausted and it doesn't seem they are able to run out of chakra. When we fought the woman, she able to send out a decent amount of clones that were up to par with my Shadow Clones more than once."

"From what you guys told me, it sounds like ambushing that woman would be impossible since it seems like she is able to sense you guy's chakra from a good distances away," Sakura says. "I would bet anything that she's a Sensory Type Shinobi which is frustrating since she can hide her own chakra from other Sensory Shinobi."

I sigh. "Things would be a lot easier if you two possessed the Byakugan. Me and two Shadow Clones isn't seeming to cut it."

"How about I be more semi-realistic and say that things would be easier if you could create a thousand Shadow Clones like Naruto can," Sasuke shoots back in a slightly annoyed tone of voice.

I squint my eyes at him. "Hey, don't get smart with me. We're all frustrated here. Unfortunately, the plan I came up with is really the only thing we can do unless you have any better ideas."

Sasuke doesn't respond as he leans forward and presses his fingers together in front of his mouth to think. As he moves, I watch as he winces in pain from his still injured wounds, but remains in his thinking pose.

"Like I said before, she's going to be expecting us to come back," Sasuke finally says after a few minutes of silence. "I think she's going to be lurking around that area anyways and will attack us again before we even get the chance to investigate it no matter if we go during the day or night now. Since we really can't ambush her and she can't ambush us, we are going to have to get creative and trap her."

I arch an eyebrow. "It sounds like you might have plan?"

Sasuke nods. "Yes, but I'm not too sure if it will work or not."

"Well, it is worth a shot so let's hear it," Sakura assures him.

Sasuke glances over at the pinkette. "Most of this plan relies on your genjutsu skills. We don't know how proficient this woman is in genjutsu, but I'm going to assume for now she's the one that is behind the genjutsu crap you two were under and the one that is currently casted in that one area of the forest. So, in my mind, she's pretty damn good. Which means you got to be even better, or at least trick her into thinking you are. I want you to throw genjutsu after genjutsu at her. While you are doing that, Hinata and I will handle any clones that she's going to conjure up so you can solely focus on the woman. While Hinata and I are dealing with the clones, I'm going to find a good chance to slip away once the numbers dwindle down and leave Hinata and her Shadow Clones to fend for themselves for a moment. We can just need to keep her and her clones distracted long enough so I can get close enough to her and pin her against a tree with my Chidori. Then, I want Hinata, or one of her clones, to deliver the finishing blow by slicing her head off with her chakra scalpels."

Sakura tilts her head to the side. "That sounds like a good plan to me, but what if she's resistant to most genjutsus like I am?"

Sasuke narrows his eyes. "Let's just hope she's not. If she ends up not being fazed by your genjutsus, will just switch tactics and continue to try to get closer to her with force. We can deal with her clones while I still try to make my way closer to her and focus on preventing her from escaping. Her clones admitted to us that she isn't good at close combat so that is our main goal in both situations is to get closer to her."

I cross my arms. "Even if she isn't as resistant to genjutsus as Sakura is, I think genjutsus alone isn't going to distract her that much. We are going to have to stoop down to her level and play dirty. For example, after every genjutsu we throw in a flash bomb like she used against us in our fight with her. If we're the ones throwing the flash bomb, we'll be expecting the harsh light so we'll just have to know where she is when we throw it, shield our eyes, and go after her. Yes, she'll be able to sense us but I think items like that will help increase the likelihood of Sakura being able to get close to her."

Ugh, I miss Shikamaru right now. His _Shadow Possession Jutsu_ and _Earth Style: Hiding Like a Mole Jutsu_ would be very helpful to us in capturing this damn bitch.

"That could increase our chances of getting to her," Sasuke ponders. "We would just have to warn each other before tossing in a flash bomb into the picture so we can prepare ourselves without being blindsided."

I shrug. "You'll be blind either way if I throw a flash bomb."

"Can you be serious for once?" Sasuke snaps.

I narrows my eyes. "You're being very snippy today."

"We're just in a frustrating situation right now and you're teasing is getting on my nerves," Sasuke says, narrowing his eyes back at me.

I cross my arms. "Well, your crappy attitude is getting on mine."

Who does Sasuke think he is treating me like this? I always try to make jokes or act playful in stressful situations to lighten the mood. But, it isn't like I spend my whole time doing it. Just here and there.

"If you would just be quite, you wouldn't be receiving any attitude from me," Sasuke growls. "Stop acting like a child and more like our leader."

I raise my eyebrows. "Excuse me? I'm not the cause of your bad mood. You made a smart comment to me just a minute ago. It seems to me that you're the one acting like a baby."

Sakura shifts her eyes between the two of us. "Hey! Cut it out, you two. This isn't exactly the time to be arguing. That's what the enemy would want us to do."

"Well, I was in a perfectly content mood until he opened his mouth and ruined it," I tell Sakura without looking away from Sasuke. "Anyways, what's your problem, Sasuke? Is your wound hurting really bad? Is that why you're acting so irritable? Or, are you really that worried about the woman?"

"I just think instead of sitting around and wasting time we should go ahead and head back to the area so we can hurry up and take care of that woman before she kills anybody else," Sasuke explains, even though I don't believe that's the whole truth.

I hold up a hand. "We're not going anywhere today. You're still injured. You need to relax in bed or take a dip in the hot springs to heal your wounds."

Sasuke scowls. "Lay off. I'm fine."

I roll my eyes. "Kami, you sound like my seven-year-old sister when she thinks she capable of doing something that I know she clearly can't. I saw you wince in pain just a few minutes ago so obviously you're not just fine."

"It just a few gashes," Sasuke says in a deadpanned voice. "It isn't like I broke a bone or am bleeding to death."

I narrow my eyes at the stubborn male. "I feel like I'm talking to a brick wall. Do you not understand you have to be at your 100% best, or at least close to it, to go up against that woman? And, even that wasn't good enough for us last night. Don't forget she's immortal and -"

"I already understand all of this," Sasuke cut in.

I slightly lower my head. "Look, I'm not Naruto, Ino, or your senesi so you are not going to talk to me like that and interrupt. Don't you do it again. As I was saying, she can kill us in a heartbeat if she draws even a signal drop of blood from us. While she is probably very angry at us for stumbling into her territory and forcing her to retreat, I don't think she's going to cause any more problems. She's expecting to come back today or tomorrow so she's going to chill out and lurk around the area, like you said earlier, until we show up. It would be stupid for her to leave the area if we are going to come back to investigate it. She'll be there to protect whatever she is hiding. I'm not trying to baby you, Sasuke. I just want all of us to be as prepared as possible."

Sasuke doesn't seem to convinced by my mini speech so Sakura bravely steps in. "Please just listen to Hinata, Sasuke. She's our leader for a reason and I think her decision is the right one. You do need to rest and nurture your wounds. We can leave first thing tomorrow morning." She pauses and then turns towards me. "I mean, if that's okay with you?"

"I was wanting to head off around that time anyways tomorrow," I tell her.

Sakura looks back at Sasuke and gives him a half smile. "See? Now, come one. It is two against one. Just relax for the day."

Sasuke stands up. "You two are annoying."

Sakura face drops as I frown at him and we watch as strides across the room and places his hand on the doorknob.

"We're annoying because we care about you?" Sakura questions.

"No, he's just annoyed with himself and that woman because she got the best of him and we had to retreat," I tell her. I watch Sasuke's body tense up, but he doesn't react. "He's in hurry to go back and fight her and is just taking his anger out on us. Am I right, Sasuke?"

Sasuke swings open the door and slams it behind him.

Ugh, what's up with the men in my life and their stubborn, prideful egos?

"I don't get why he's so agitated," Sakura mumbles as she lowers her eyes and messes with a strand of hair. "I mean, I heard what you just said, but..." She trails off.

I pinch my knows. "Just ignore him. I don't know why he's acting his way, but I'm pretty sure that's one of the main reasons why. He just hates getting his ass handed to him, excuse my language, and will sulk about it for awhile.

Sakura shifts her eyes over towards me. "He has been very quite all morning long. He just came into the room shortly after you left, climbed into your bed, and shut his eyes like he was trying to sleep."

"He was probably just thinking about some 'woe is me' crap."

Sakura sighs. "Maybe. But, I really don't like when he acts like this."

I arch any eyebrow. "Oh, is Sasuke's brooding personality not cool and mysterious anymore to you?"

Sakura just stares at me, flops backwards onto the bed, and mumbles, "Shut up."

* * *

The rest of the day is pretty uneventful. My Shadow Clones and I decide to patrol the village with our Byakugan to keep a lookout for the woman. Sakura went over to Norio's house after Michi is done with school so she can continue to train the girl. Sasuke eventually took my advice and went over to soak in the springs for a couple of hours.

To be honest, I was a little worried when he told he was going to the springs because I didn't want him getting stuck in a genjutsu since it seems to only happen there. Thankfully, he came back conscious and in one piece. He informed Sakura and I that the pain has subsided a lot and his wounds are starting to fade away.

Later that evening we had a simple yet satisfying at the hotel, thanks to room service. Norio had insisted for us to come over so he could cook for us, but we declined and suggested he retire early for the evening since he was running on little to no sleep. Even though we all ate together, I was still annoyed with Sasuke and he felt the same towards me. Sakura tries to play the mediator and create small talk, but gave up after neither of us would keep it up.

Now, after a good night's sleep and eating a quick breakfast, we are standing at the gates of Yugakure and waiting to depart to the designated area.

"Do we need to run over the plan one more time?" I ask Sasuke and Sakura.

They both shake their heads no.

"We've already done so three times since we've woken up," Sakura says.

"On your behalf," Sasuke chimes in.

I shoot Sasuke a look. "Don't start with me today. It is a new day and I'm trying to start in a decent mood."

Sakura raises her eyebrows and gives me a reassuring smile. "Then, you need to stop worrying. You are doing fine as a leader. Everything will go alright as long as we stick to the plan."

I slightly widen my eyes and awkwardly look away. "You know, it's a little sad and embarrassing that you have to keep reassuring your leader when I should be assuring you guys instead."

Sakura rolls her eyes. "Oh, cut the crap. We're a team. We've all got to support one another no matter what positions we are in."

Sasuke gives me a strange look from witnessing my rare moment of vulnerability, but doesn't say anything.

Good. That is smart of him.

But, listen. I know I'm really good at keeping my emotions in check and my inner thoughts hidden. But, I'm about to lead this squad to fight another around with an immortal since it didn't go so well the first time. I would feel more confident if we were taking on… well not an immortal. These Jashinists are just really dangerous and I don't want anything happening to Sasuke or Sakura.

I put on a brave face and turn back to my subordinates. "You're right, Sakura. I was just letting my nerves get to me. I'm ready to go now if you two are."

The two of them nod and we start to run deeper into the forest. As we run, I create two Shadow Clones and they position themselves in the front and the back so they can serve as lookout while I scan my surroundings from the middle of the group. While we are on the move, we mask our chakra to the best of our abilities and Sakura attempts to conceal us with a _False Surroundings_ genjutsu.

We are trying to get to the area as quick as we can so when the woman senses us she doesn't have much time to prepare for our arrival. I came up with this idea later yesterday because going in slow and sneaking up on her would be useless because of her sensory skills. Yes, masking our chakra and concealing ourselves with a genjutsu could be deemed pointless also, but it doesn't hurt to do so if it ends up helping us out even in the slightest.

"I see her and she's heading towards our direction," the Shadow Clone leading the pack informs us, after about eight minutes of traveling. "She'll be here in less than a minute. She'll be coming from the two o'clock direction."

"Thanks," I say to my clone and I lift up a finger to get rid of the both of them.

I take the lead this time and we change directions to meet up with the woman. As she gets closer to us, I watch as she crosses her fingers together to create ten clones and she slows down her pace as she allows them to get ahead.

"She is sending about ten clones to handle us first while she draws back," I tell Sakura and Sasuke. "She isn't fleeing the scene, but is just hiding behind them for now. As soon as they come into range, I'm going to throw a flashbomb and, Sakura, that's when you come in so be prepared."

"Alright," Sakura replies and nods.

The woman's clones come into view and all ten of them hurl a small wave of shurikens and kunais towards us. We dodge the projectile weapons and the clones increase their speed to get closer to us as we do the same. I swiftly withdrawn two flash bombs from my weapons pouch and toss it towards the army of clones just as Sakura leaps forward ahead of us and starts to weave hand signs. Before the yellow spheres hit the ground, I quickly call upon my two Shadow Clones again and then the bombs detonate. A blinding light fills the area and I shield my eyes to protect them from any harm. My two clones close their own eyes and begin to swoop in towards the depths of the light to start dealing with the woman's clones by memorizing where they were standing and I hear the sound of clones poofing away.

The light fades away after a few seconds and I blink my eyes open to find the air and trees wavering here and there. Sakura has successfully put this area under a _Double False Surroundings_ , and to where it doesn't affect me and Sasuke, and now she should be activating her _Mist Servant Jutsu_ to give the illusion that the woman and her clones are outnumbered. Since the light is gone now, I can see that my Shadow Clones has managed to take out half of the clones. From beyond her five clones, I watch the woman scowl and raise her hands up to create more clones when she suddenly dives out of the way from nothing. I shift my eyes over to Sakura and she that she is just standing there so she must me putting her illusionary clones to work.

To me, it doesn't seem like the woman has noticed yet that she is under a genjutsu so maybe she isn't as skilled with genjutsu as we thought she was.

While Sakura deals with her, I turn towards the enemy's clone and run forward to join my Shadow Clones in defeating them. As soon as I jump in, the clones scatter and four of them take off towards Sakura while one lays behind to handle us. My Shadow Clones cover for me as I try to get past the clone, but she out dos me with her speed by pushing past my clones and stands in my way. Since he is closer to her than I am, Sasuke flickers over to get in front of the clones just in time. He weaves hand signs for the _Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu_ and blows out a small stream of fire out of his mouth, just enough for the clones to back off without trying to burn down the surrounding trees.

As Sasuke deals with them, I send out a chakra blast towards the clone to knock her out of my way. She seems to have sense the chakra blast coming and jumps in mid-air to avoid it. She throw a handful of shurikens and they proceed to shower upon me. From the close range, I go to deflect them with another chakra blast. However, those weapons appear to be only a distraction as the clone swiftly lands on the ground and goes to punch me. I manage to leap backwards in time, both avoiding her punch and the falling weapons, but she rushes towards me and goes in for a kick. I block the kick with my arm and go to strike her in the chest. She zooms over to the side and one my Shadow Clones leaps forward to tackle her. The enemy front flips over my Shadow Clone and spins around to land a kick on her back, causing her to poof away.

My second Shadow Clone enters the match at the same time to take her on, but the woman's clone ducks to one side and goes to elbow her in the chin. My Shadow Clone ducks to the ground and brings her leg around to sweep the woman off of her feet, but the other clone merely steps over her legs. She proceeds to twist her feet around my clone's leg to prevent her from moving. The woman's clone pulls out a kunai and goes down to stab my clone, but she makes some handsigns and switches her body out with a log. She reappears a few yards away and makes her way over towards the enemy again. I charge in as well well and my clone and I surround her as we eye her down, waiting for her to make a move.

She's been using her speed against us and we just can't keep up with her to land any hits! Our Byakugan allows us to defend ourselves from her hitting us back, but we can only keep that up for so much longer before we grow tired.

Out of the corner of my vision, a quick flicker of movement grabs my attention and I focus on attention on that while my Shadow Clone watches over the enemy. I watch as one of the clones that Sasuke is fighting suddenly increases her speed and zooms towards Sasuke. On guard and Sharingan activated, he is prepared for any attack she brings her way. As she runs towards Sasuke, she crosses her fingers together and ten more clones instantly appear.

Wait... can a clone even create a clone?

Seeing that I am momentarily distracted, the woman's clone pulls out a kunai and lunges forward to slash at me. Without looking at her, I catch her by the arm just as the kunai nears my neck and my clone swoops in and snaps the other clone's own neck. The clone falls to the ground and disappears, but I don't pay much attention as I rush over to help Sasuke, my Shadow Clone trailing behind me.

There are total of fourteen clones and the real woman should be still under Sakura's genjutsu. Half of the clones start off towards Sakura. Sasuke began to sprint after then, but the other half get in his way and leap forward to attack all at once. One of the clones that is in the army after Sakura gets ahead over everyone else and lifts a finger. The woman that Sakura is staring at suddenly disappears and Sakura blinks in confusion. Before anyone can warn Sakura, she turns around just in time to see the woman coming near her. Sakura starts to weave hand signs, but the woman is faster. She charges forward at full speed, pulls out a kunai, and slashes through Sakura's torso.

"NO!" I find myself screaming as I push past the clones dealing with Sasuke. They ignore me as I continue towards Sakura and the woman.

Sakura's eyes go wide as she starts to bleed out at a moderate pace and crumples to the ground. The woman glances over at me, smirks, and licks the dripping blood from the kunai. She starts to transform and I stop dead in my tracks when I arrive about ten feet from the enemy and my injured teammate.

What… What the fuck happen?! We had this thing in the bag. Everything was going according to plan and then everything switched just like that!

"I live for that look on your face," the woman speaks to me in a cold voice despite smirking. "That look of desperation. Agony. Fear." She rubs her arm. "Gives me cold chills!"

"I… I…"

I'm at a loss for words. This bitch is a heartless monster.

The woman mockingly raises her eyebrows. "You what? Hate me? Think I'm a monster? Don't understand what just happened? I'll explain it to you really quickly before I finish your friend off."

I inhale sharply and franticly glance over at Sakura. As I am paying more attention to her now, her body seems to be wavering. In fact, the small distance between her and the woman seems to be wavering everywhere that I have to deactivate my Byakugan before I experience motion sickness.

What's going on now?

I turn back to the bitch as she starts to explain things to me. "As soon as you pulled out those flash bombs, I knew what you three were planning on doing. You must know by now that I've been spying on you three ever since you arrived. Well, except the past day or so. Anyways, I watched you guys train and I heard you three talking. I observed, I analyzed, and I learned what your specialties were. Once I did, I realized I was in trouble if I let you three near me. During the beginning of the fight, my plan was to just use my clones and speed to tire you three out and then make my move. But, like I just said, once I had an idea of what you guys were planning once you pulled out those flash bombs. I'm not stupid. I knew you were going to copy the same thing I did before and use those bombs to your advantage. Even though nobody can't see once it goes off, it is actually an advantage for me since I can hide my chakra and sense yours still. It is a disadvantage for you three because you can't really know where I'm at unless you memorized it before hand. While the light was going off, I sensed the pink-headed girl coming towards me so I quickly switched positions with a clone and she 'casted' her under the genjutsu instead."

Of course my plan backfired on me. Almost every single plan I come up with gets fucked over somehow. I know some people have some sort of running gag going for them, but this is a really shitty one if this is mine running gag.

I swallow. "Please… please don't kill her. Kill me. Kill me instead!"

"Shut up, Hinata!" I hear Sasuke yell from the background, but I choose to ignore him.

He almost gave up his life for Naruto once when they were fighting Haku so I don't even want to hear it.

The woman shakes her head, amused. "How about I let you watch me kill her and then I'll end your life next?"

"Like I'll really allow you to do that!" I hear Sakura's voice say.

Suddenly, the view in front of seems to shatter and the scene in front of me changes. Sakura is lying on the ground anymore in a bloody mess. Instead, she has a kunai pressed up against the woman's neck, who isn't transformed anymore. I quickly activate my Byakugan again to look around and notice that their surroundings isn't wavering anymore.

Were… were we under a genjutsu this whole time?

In one swift motion, Sakura digs her kunai deep into the woman's neck and slashes right through it. It doesn't cut her head right off, but her neck is sliced open. Before the woman can even react, I rush forward, turn on my chakra scalpels, and finish Sakura's job by cutting off the woman's head. It tumbles off of the necks and rolls off to the side a few inches, the woman screaming in pain and horror the whole time. From behind me, the woman's clones all poof away and Sasuke glances around for a second before seeing us and hurries on over.

"Whatever just happened can be explained later," Sasuke tells us as he breathes heavily. "Hinata, seal up the woman and let's turn her in."

I comply with Sasuke and quickly pull out a scroll to finally seal this bitch up.

"You three are going to-" the woman begins to shout, but I interrupt her by punching her in the mouth.

"Shut the hell up," I murmur into her ear. "I don't give two shits about your damn god."

And then, I shut her up for good by sealing her up and I roll up the scrolls to put back up.

Sakura runs a hand through her long pink hair. "I can't... I can't believe I just sliced her neck."

Well, at least she's just in disbelief and isn't freaking out like she did when she had to actually kill Orochimaru's minions during the invasions while protecting herself.

None of us say a word as we hurry back to Yugakure because the area can be explored later. We arrive in record time and practically break down Norio's door from pounding on it so hard. He swings it open and he gives us a worried expression as if he already knew it was us.

"We… we finally captured her," I pant as I lift the scroll in the air.

Norio widens his eyes in surprise and snatches the scroll out of my hand. "U-Unbelievable! I have to go tell Hiroki right now! You three can rest and help yourselves to watch is in the kitchen! Michi at school right now so you don't have to worry about her."

I shake my head. "Thanks for the offer, but we are going straight back to the area to explore it."

Sakura looks she is about to pass out from exhaustion. "We are?"

I nod. "I know we are all tired, but we need to go check the place out since the woman is gone. If there are others like her, we need to see if we can find something before anyone realizes she is missing." I pull out a small bag from my weapons pouch and pour out three military ration pills. "Here, you two take one. I know I may becoming across as extreme, but we really need to investigate that area. These pills can keep us going for three days and, hopefully, the mission will be a success by then and we can just knock out in peace for a day or two."

Sakura gives me a hesitant look, but ends up swallowing her pill once Sasuke and I take ours. Instantly, I feel better and I can tell that Sasuke and Sakura does, too. Especially since Sakura used a lot of chakra for her genjutsus.

"Well, you guys do what you need to do," Norio tells us as we stashes some folders and notebooks in his backpack and puts it on. "I'm going to go over and report this. Good luck to you three. Stay safe and I hope you find something."

The three of us thank Norio and he leaves his house in a hurry. We leave shortly after and head back towards the gate.

"Sakura, tell us how you managed to restrain that woman," I say to Sakura as we run through the forest.

She furrow her eyebrows together. "It wasn't easy. I had to think on the spot once I saw her coming after me. I made hand signs to put her under a genjutsu and then I took a step back so she couldn't prick me. Within my genjutsu, I added more handsigns to make it look like she got to me before I could finish. I put most of my chakra into my genjutsu to make it as strong and realistic as possible and I guessed it worked since it even fooled you. You was probably close enough to get stuck under it because I just aimed the genjutsu in a wide general area so I can also conceal myself better. Since I put a heavy amount of chakra into it, I was hoping she wouldn't sense as I waited for the right opportunity to strike."

"I remember the air and everything around you looking so disoriented that I had to deactivate my Byakugan because I was feeling sick," I tell her. "Kurenai-sensei must have been training you hard. I didn't realize your genjutsu skills have improved this greatly."

Sakura looks a little smug at the compliment. "I was actually taking a big risk because I've never conjured a genjutsu that big or powerful before. If it hadn't worked, I would've wasted my chakra for no reason and I would've been in serious trouble."

"At least you proved that the woman wasn't that proficient in genjutsu," Sasuke says.

Sakura nods. "Yes. She was as good as we think she was, she should have some resistance built up to it."

I curl my lips in. "Which means there is somebody else that is behind all of these genjutsus?"

Sasuke narrows his eyes. "It sounds like it."

I sigh. "Good thing we took these pills. Maybe we can keep with one of these immortals now without tiring out as easy. Just stay on guard while we are exploring the area. If there is somebody else, they might be close by if they don't want whatever is hidden discovered."

Sasuke and Sakura nod in understanding and we finally make it back to the area. We immediately get to work. I call upon my Shadow Clones and we start searching for weak spots within the genjutsu barrier while Sakura helps us out. The genjutsu seems to be on an equal playing field no matter where we search and I can see more clearly now just how much chakra is in this genjutsu.

Like, it is unbelievable how much chakra there is and the chakra feels very dark and eerie. Even an untrained person would be able to feel this kind of chakra.

After about forty minutes of carefully searching, one of my clones spots a small weak spot compared to the rest of the genjutsu barrier. Sasuke activates his Sharingan and he and Sakura rush over to the spot I am pointing it.

" _Sharingan_!"

"Kai!"

" _Sharingan_!"

"Kai!"

" _SHARINGAN_!"

"KAI!"

That specific area of the genjutsu dispels and a group of bushes appear on the ground. It looks like it has been tampered with many times because the bushes look stomped on and leaves fallen everywhere. But, underneath the thick patch of bushes is a small man made wooden door. We stumble over the bushes to get over to the door and I expand my vision downwards to see if I can look beyond it. Unfortunately, I am unable to see anything because the genjutsu is coming from underneath there as well.

I deactivate my Byakugan and look over at my teammates. "I can't see beyond this door. It looks like we're going to have to send in my clones first as a safety precaution to check out whatever is down there before we do."

We take a step back as my Shadow Clones move around us to get to the wooden door. They open the door, exposing a small hole in the ground, and they jump through it.

 **Author's Note: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Sorry for the late post. I've been sick and busy with these last few weeks of college. The next chapter won't take as long to post, especially since I left it at another cliff hanger *grins evilly*.**


	36. Chapter 36: The God of Evil Arc

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **The God of Evil Arc**

 **Chapter thirty-six**

Just a few minutes later, the memories of my Shadow Clone comes flooding into my mind.

* * *

 _The two Shadow Clones jumped into the hole and landed silently on the cool ground. They found themselves in a narrow hallway with walls and floors made of dirt. Down the hallway contained five green doors: two on either side of the small hallways and then one at the very end. With their Byakugans, the clones saw that beyond the doors on the right side of the hallway contained a living quarters and then a bathroom. Beyond the doors on the left side, it looked like there was a training room and then a tiny library. However, they clones could not see past the door at the end of the hallway because it was hidden behind a strong genjutsu. Not seeing anyone in the hideout, they decided to sneak over to the door to see what was on the other side._

 _They made their way down the hall and towards the door without anything happening. They approached the door and one of the clones cautiously turned the doorknob and found it unlocked. She took a deep breathe and proceeded to open it all the way while the other clone hid behind the door. A staircase is revealed to the Shadow Clone and she walked down it, leaving the other Shadow Clone behind as an ambush tactic. She quietly goes down the staircase and until she could see the bottom of the stairwell. Waiting for her is a dimly lighted archway. The Shadow Clone pressed her body against the walls of the stair well and tiptoed the rest of the way down. When she reached the bottom, she barely peeks enough around the archway to catch a glimpse of the room._

 _The room is three times wider and taller than the other four rooms combined upstairs. On the floor is a huge red rug that covered most of the room and the walls are decorated in multiple sizes of Jashin's symbol that had been drawn in now dried up blood. The room wasn't very furnished considering how big the room is. One corner of the room held a tiny bed with a red blanket draped over the worn out white stained sheets. In another corner sat a old looking wooden desk with a matching chair. In the middle of the room accommodated a large grey statue of the man that Hinata has seen during her last genjutsu trips at the hot springs. There are six tall torches that surround the statue and standing right in front of the sculpture is a figured that is totally bandaged from head to toe. His back is away from the Shadow Clone, but she can see that the figure is wearing a mask that has the same face as the statue except the mask is a black with white markings, there is a half done Jashin symbol in the center of the forehead, and the face looked more demonic._

 _However, what disturbed the Shadow Clone the most is this person's chakra. Their color was totally black, but she could see the normal color of chakra here and there. This person appeared to have a large chakra reserve, but it doesn't appear to be moving at all like it should be. She couldn't compare this to the woman they just fought because that woman was able to still her chakra to keep it hidden, but it wasn't a hundred percent still. If the Shadow Clone couldn't see the person breathing and their heart beating, she would've swore that the figure was dead. But, they are very much alive and they are giving off a natural thick and eerie killer intent. And, weirdly, she could only see the inside of the person's body and not the outside, unable to see what they really look like._

 _Who is that person? the Shadow Clone wondered to herself as she shivered. I need to get out of here and tell the others. I have a bad feeling about this person and I don't think it will be very wise to confront them._

 _As she turned to sneak back up the stairs, the person suddenly spinned around to stare in her direction. She quickly recoiled back, but it is too late. The figure has already spotted her._

" _There is no use in hiding. I already know you're there," the person informed her in a mildly amused tone._

 _This person is speaking in a deep and rough voice, the Shadow Clone thought. It has to be a male!_

 _The Shadow Clone decided to reveal herself to the stranger and she narrowed her eyes. "Who are you and what is this place?"_

" _I should be asking you, the intruder, why you are here instead," the mystery figure growled, they're tone of voice changing instantly. "I know that your other Shadow Clone is hiding out at the top of the staircase. I also know that your caster and her friends are standing just outside, waiting on the two of you to report back."_

 _The figure took a step forward, but the Shadow Clone stood her ground despite her instincts telling her to flee. "Are you another follower of Jashin?"_

 _If this person is, they look very different compared to the others, the Shadow Clone silently adds. Their getup is too strange and they are giving off more of a dangerous and pure evil vibe than Hidan or the woman._

" _Or… perhaps you are Jashin," she continues, trying to not phrase it like a question._

" _Maybe this will answer your question," the person replied in a low voice._

 _Before the Shadow Clone can even react, the figure had pulled out a kunai from their bandages, around the waist area, stuck it up to their neck, and slashed it straight across. The Shadow Clone widened her eyes in shock as nothing happened. There is no blood pouring out, no gurgling sounds, no dropping to the ground in pain. In fact, there doesn't appear to be as much as a tiny scratch on their neck. They didn't even cut their bandages! The figure goes to slice their neck two more times for emphasis and then pointed the clean kunai at the clone._

" _Like how you've done the others, my head cannot be cut off," the figure taunts. They go on to cut their arms, legs, and stomach. "In fact, I cannot be harmed at all. Unlike my four strongest followers, I cannot be stopped. Unlike them, I am purely immortal and all god. I am Jashin."_

 _The Shadow Clone inhaled sharply at this person's confession._

 _This person… this person cannot be Jashin, the Shadow Clone tried to reason with herself. He's trying to deceive me and mess with my mind. He's just an imposter! If this is really Jashin, then he is speaking too calmy compared to the Jashin that I saw in the last two genjutsus I was under. The intense killing intent feels the same, but this 'Jashin' and that 'Jashin' look and sound totally different!_

 _The figure tilts their head. "I can tell by that look of disbelief and fear on your face that you're unsure whether to believe me or not. Well, I have already proved that I cannot be harmed or killed, so that is all on you. Unfortunately, I know that I can't technically kill you right now since you're only a mere clone…" The figure rushed over to the Shadow Clone and had her pinned against the wall before she could even blink "...but I can make you disappear so I will leave you with this parting message before I get rid of you. You and your subordinates will come down here within the next sixty seconds or I will come out and kill every single last person in Yugakure myself starting with the man and his daughter while I make you watch. Do I make myself clear?"_

 _The figure doesn't even give the clone a chance to nod in response before they grabbed her by the head and slammed it against the wall._

* * *

I ignore the phantom headache that briefly enters my head as I receive my Shadow Clone's memories and then widen my eyes once I recall this person's threats.

"We have to get down there, now!" I tell Sasuke and Sakura. I immediately jump down the hole and they follow me without any questions. "Long story short, my clone came across someone who claims to be Jashin. Whoever they are, they have proven to my clone that they 'cannot be harmed or killed' as they demonstrated with a kunai by attempting to cut his neck off and nothing happened."

The others don't say anything as we land and run down the narrow hallway. I notice that my Shadow Clone is still hiding behind the opened door so I lift up a finger to quickly get rid of her and continue on down the stairs. As we approach the bottom of the stairwell, my nerves start to act up and I feel like vomiting, but I keep going on.

Because if we are really about to face Jashin, you know a truly immortal god, then we might as well consider ourselves dead. I know I can't think like that, but…

No, stop. Calm down. You need to have a clear head right now.

The three of us tense up as we enter the room and find the figure standing back at the statue again. Except, this time, he isn't staring at the statue and is facing us instead, awaiting our arrival.

"I knew that you three wouldn't waste any time in coming down here," the figure jeers. "You all think you can just take down my loyal followers, commit blasphemy, and disrespect me yet it is wrong of I to want to kill your loved ones. I have given you three many chances since you arrived. I gave you a warning and a brief punishment to run you off. My follower gave you a warning and even a chance to go away after a fight. Yet, the three of you do not listen. You keep coming back and now you have dug your own graves. No more warnings."

Despite his threats, our bodies do not dare to move in fear as we watch Jashin unravel his right arm to reveal pale skin, lifts up a finger, and then presses his left palm onto his right forearm. Black markings of different shapes appear in a small circle and a parchment of scroll and an ink set pops into the air. He grabs the newly revealed with both hands and undos the scroll just a bit.

I snap out of my trance and turn to Sakura and Sasuke. "Get ready to fight!"

We decide to spread out and I remain in the middle while Sasuke leaps to the left and Sakura over to the right. As we get into formation and go into a defensive stance, Jashin draws something onto his scroll in one swift motion of his pen.

" _Fūinjutsu: Lightning Dragon_!"

Blue electricity starts to flicker around the scroll and then a swirling blast of lightning the shape of a dragon shoots out of it. It heads towards my direction and I quickly call upon my two Shadow Clones so all three of us can stand side by side to create a large chakra barrier. As we emit out chakra of our hands and wave our arms to create the barrier, Jashin taps his scroll twice and the lightning dragon splits into three: one still coming in my direction while the other heads towards my friends. In a flash, Sasuke weaves handsigns and a huge fireball shoots out of his mouth to match the lightning dragon. Sakura performs a backflip to land on the wall behind her and pushes off towards the high ceiling. Mine and Sasuke's dragons collide with our techniques while Sakura's hits the wall as she soars in mid-air and lands upside down on the ceiling.

The lightning dragons struggles against our barriers for a few seconds before Jashin waves his pen aside and the dragon combusts, causing lightning to dance about everywhere. From being so close, the force of the explosion shatters my charka guard and electricity flickers through and zaps my Shadow Clones away. Several sparks head in my direction, but I match their nature with a chakra blast infused with Lightning Release, causing a few more mini explosions. I activate my Byakugan to see if Sasuke and Sakura are alright and I see Sasuke is unscathed. However, Sakura is currently lying on the floor, mildly signed from being struck. She is still conscious, but I can tell she is momentarily paralyzed as I can see electricity enveloping itself through her chakra pathways and numbing her body. Since I am the closest, I start to go over to retrieve her, but Jashin has other plans as he draws on his scroll again.

" _Fūinjutsu: Imposing Gales_!"

A large gale rips out of the parchment and heads towards us in a widespread movement. Sasuke goes to jump towards the ceilings to avoid the brunt of the attack while I hurry over to pick up Sakura and join him. The compressed winds tunneled throughout the room and manages to tear up my legs from not hopping up in time. Trying to ignore the pain and running blood from the freshly new multiple cuts, I am unable to reach the ceiling so I settle for landing higher up on the walls.

"Thank you, Hinata," Sakura whimpers, oblivious to my injuries.

I just nod in response as I shuffle Sakura around slightly so I can move my hand over to her stomach and I start to pump chakra into her body. "This may or may not hurt depending on how numb your body is right now. I'm attempting to spread my chakra throughout your body to cause a chemical imbalance so I can overpower the electricity running through your pathways and get rid of them. Then, I will just unlock your chakra points so you'll be able to use chakra again and move, but you'll feel very weak and slow at first if this work."

This typically wouldn't work in most paralysis cases, but she just has enough electricity in her system to briefly paralyze her. However, we need all the help we can in order to fight Jashin so we can't afford for Sakura to sit out. Hopefully this process doesn't take to long because I don't know what he is planning, but he seems to be just toying with us for now. He has claimed to me before that he isn't a merciful god so he must be playing around to torture us before taking things seriously and killing us. Then again, it sounds like he was trying to convince us he can be merciful because of his speech just a few minutes ago about how he had given us plenty of chances.

As I deal with Sakura, I feel my legs starting to shake from the pain and the trailing blood is starting to slide into my shoes, giving my feet an unpleasant and chilling sensation. Without even having to glance over, I can see with my vision that Sasuke is looking over at me with his Sharingan activated. He notices my wounds and then glares down at Jashin, who is staring back up at us. Sasuke starts to weave hand signs for his infamous fire jutsu, but Jashin lifts up a finger and points at the ceiling. I focus some of my attention on the ceiling and try not to gasp and break my concentration as a huge green seal suddenly appears above us. Radius wise, I'm not underneath the seal, but Sasuke is and it activates before he can get out of the way.

" _Fūinjutsu: Imposing Gales_!"

Like before, a strong gale comes shooting out of the seal and makes full contact with Sasuke. However, the Uchiha must've sensed the built up chakra coming from the seal before it was activated because he barely avoids it in time by using a _Substitution Jutsu_ to switch places with one of the torches surrounding the Jashin statue. He appears right beside of Jashin and opens his mouth to release a flamethrower. Jashin takes the attack head on and I watch with my Byakugan as his body doesn't start to burn or melt. Instead, he pretty much ignores the fact that he's on fire, tosses the ashes from his scroll and ink set to the side, and clasps his hands together.

" _Fūinjutsu: Sinkhole_!"

The red carpet underneath their feet lights up, the ground beneath it turns fine, and everything starts to cave in. Jashin leaps into the air to avoid being sucked in and Sasuke attempts to go after him, but he looks down to find that his feet are stuck and he is sinking. While Jashin is in mid-air, he looks over at Sakura and I and lifts a finger. A few of the Jashin seals behind start to light up and I see a burst of chakra starting to gather together. I tightly hold onto to Sakura and I push off from the wall. The multiple seals activate and they all explode at the same time. Sakura and I catch the brunt of the attack and the force harshly knocks Sakura out of my arms and we both crash to the ground. I feel my ribs crack as soon as I hit the ground and my back and the right half of my body starts to grow painfully hot. I wince as I struggle to lift my body up to examine my injuries and find that my skin is very red and covered in opened blisters from them breaking from the impact of my fall.

It is taking everything in my power right now to not scream and cry in pain. I feel like I'm on fire right now.

I focus my attention on Sakura and find her unconscious, though she doesn't appeared as injured as I am. My body caught most of the explosion since I was shielding her from it while she was in my arms, so only her legs got a little singed here and there. Which, it is good that she isn't that hurt, but now we totally have one man down now since she is knocked out. Plus, I still have to worry about lugging her body around so she doesn't get caught about any of the seals since they seem to be everywhere.

Suddenly, I feel my body starting to sink downwards and I instinctively try to get away, but I cannot move. I realize that Sakura and I have fallen into the sinkhole with Sasuke and all three of us are stuck. Our bodies stop sinking about halfway and Sasuke and I get the same idea because we start to conjure up our Lightning Release to break free since Earth Release is weak against it.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Jashin calls down from above. Sasuke and I glance upwards to see him standing on top of the statue. "If you keep trying to escape like that, I will release a seal that contains water and your plan will counterattack on you and electrify you all. Now, you don't want that to happen now do you?" He doesn't wait for a response and continues on. "As you may notice by now, you have no chance in defeating me. Not only can I not be harmed, I have over hundreds seals waiting to be activated throughout this sanctuary. I have a seal for just about anything you can think of and by the time I am through with the three of you, you are going to be begging for me to end your lives."

Jashin lifts up a finger to activate a seal from a random spot on the wall and a series of projectile weapons shoot out across the room. A few kunai hails down on me and impales my shoulders, causing me to tighten up my body in pain. A few shurikens soar down and sticks themselves to Sakura's arms and legs. Sasuke manages to get lucky as a kunai barely whizzes by his head.

"That's just one example of what I have in store for you three," Jashin informs us and lifts up a finger. "Here's another example."

A seal placed closer to the ground activates and an inferno comes shooting out, suddenly increasing the temperature of the room. Jashin waves his hands around and the flames crawls down the wall and starts to head in our direction. I widen my eyes and I start to pump out a series of microscopic lightning infused chakra blast from the parts of my body that is stuck underground, hoping Jashin wouldn't notice. However, the flames change the directions and starts to create a circle around us. Once it finishes, I notice with my Byakugan that it is inching towards us, slowly torturing us as we wait to be burned alive. As the flames blaze around us, I start to feel the ground underneath start to weaken and crack. Then, I discreetly start to channel the lightning blasts underground towards Sasuke and Sakura so it can start to weaken the ground around him so they can break free once the opportunity arises.

"Do you understand now that you don't mess with a god?" Jashin's voice booms. "A god who gave you chance after chance, warning after warning. Yet, nobody listened. Now, you are about to be burned alive. But, don't think I'll let you three off so easily. There is more punishments that are much worse than this one waiting to come."

Something worse than being burned alive? I don't want to stick around to find out what other tricks this bastard has up his sleeve.

I watch as Jashin waves his hand and the flame's speed starts to increase and rapidly begins to approach us. I realize it is now the time to pick up the pace if we want to escape without getting burned alive so I send out a larger lightning infused chakra blast. The force is so strong that it starts to crack the surface of the seal. Jashin notices and instantly lifts a finger to activate another seal. A nearby seal lights up and a thick spurt of water gushes out of it. Before even a single drop touches the ground, Sasuke and I are finally able to escape. I grab Sakura and Sasuke and I jump into the air as the water starts to swarm the area and distinguishes the fire.

"Sasuke, catch Sakura!" I holler as I toss Sakura towards him.

Sasuke catches Sakura perfectly and I cross my fingers together to create two Shadow Clones. As they appear, I channel chakra to my feet and I push off from their bodies. I soar towards Sasuke and I collide into him as I shove his body towards the corners of the room while we fall, away from the action, and we meet the ground head on. The fall seems to jolt Sakura awake and she moans in pain as she arches her back and stretches out her limb, proving to me that my idea worked earlier and she is able to move again. My body screams in pain from hitting the ground, yet again, but I ignore it since we are still in a dire situation.

"I don't understand how we are going to even win against this guy if he can't even get a simple scratch on him," Sasuke growls as he cracks his knuckles. "I also don't understand why he keeps relying on fūinjutsu, a technique created by man, to use against us."

Something clicks in my head and I scrunch up my face in suspicion. "Now that you mention that, one would think a god would be more impressive. Don't get me wrong, he is a very strong opponent who outranks all three of us put together. But, I think you're onto something. A god should be on a whole other level than this."

You know, in my opinion, a god should be able to beat and torture the shit out of us without the use of any jutsu. I would expect a god could destroy a body with a wave of a hand, or even a simple raise of an eyebrow. Jashin has his extreme immortality going for him, but something else is going on.

"YOU DARE TO UNDERMINE ME?!" Jashin voice suddenly shouts from behind us. We all whirl around to see Jashin standing behind us.

How the hell did he get to us so fast, especially without my Byakugan noticing him?! That is just impossible!

Before any of us can react, he reaches out, grabs Sakura by the hair, and lifts her up with ease. Since I'm standing closeby, I try to knock Jashin back with a chakra blast, but he doesn't budge. Jashin lifts up a finger and a tall rock wall juts out of the ground to separate Jashin and Sakura and me and Sasuke. We hurry around it because anything could happen to Sakura within the split second that we make our way around the rock wall. We rounded the rock wall just in time to witness Sakura pulling out a kunai, chops her hair off, and leaps away. Sasuke and I just stop and stare in shock for a moment, but we snap out of it once Jashin angrily throws her pink hair down.

Not giving him the chance to activate anymore seals, I summon my Shadow Clones again and they start a taijutsu match with in order to get him closer to the fallen hair so he can stand on top of it. As my clones attempt to overwhelm him, I notice that Jashin's movements are awkward, rigid, and almost forced, like this is his first taijutsu encounter. Sakura realizes that I am trying to mimic Ino's tactic that she used with her own hair on Sakura during the Chunin Exams and quickly goes to inform Sasuke in his ear. Sasuke nods and Sakura pays attention to Jashin, waiting for her moment to strike. Once both feet are on her hair, Sakura dives to the ground, slams her palms down, and starts to channel chakra through the hair. The hair rises up and wraps itself around Jashin's legs to restrict his movement. He briefly pauses and then starts to struggle around to breakfree. As he does so, Sasuke cranks up his Chidori and springs forward to impale Jashin through his chest.

Maybe Sasuke was hoping that a strong and straightforward jutsu like the Chidori would manage to debunk Jashin's inability to get harmed, but it doesn't. Instead, the Chidori just chips in Sasuke's hand as it leans against Jashin's bandaged chest. In one swift motion, Jashin grabs Sasuke's wrist, breaks it with one twist, and tosses him aside. Sasuke cries out in pain as he hits the ground and he grabs ahold of his now broken wrist as Sakura runs after him to check on him. Jashin takes this chance to leap backwards to gain distance from us, but my Shadow Clones try to stop him by jumping onto his back to restrain him. One clone goes for the arms by pulling them back while the other wraps their arms around his neck. I watch as the god grab ahold of his mask briefly once the clone grabs his neck, but then he drops his hand and easily swings both clones off.

Hmm, he reached for that mask a little too quickly, as if he thought my clone was going to rip it off of him or something. Maybe that mask is serves more of an importance than just to hide his identity. Well, if we can't harm or kill the guy, I'm making it my goal to steal the mask away from him. Maybe that is his weakness.

As I start to rack my brain for a quick plan, Jashin suddenly runs past the three of us and disappears into the wall behind us. With my Byakugan, I notice him reappear on the other side of the room as he pops out through a seal and he begins to exert out a large amount of chakra. Multiple seals throughout the room all activate and light up at once. Various weapons, lightning, wind, fire, basically anything you can think of, starts to shooting out in random directions, trapping us where we were and forcing us to be surrounded by death traps. He waves his hands around and the three of us watch in pure terror as the elements and weapons suddenly change courses and head in our direction. Knowing it was useless, my Shadow Clones and I start to wave our hands around to create a large chakra barrier, but then the traps started to move in random directions again. I continue to create my defense, but I focus on Jashin and see that he is grabbing his head by his hands and it sounds like he is mumbling to himself.

Not knowing what is going on and not going to question it, I decide to take this opportunity to grab the mask. My Shadow Clones and I drop our hands and I send one of the clones out first to move her way through the traps while Jashin is distracted. As the Shadow Clone dodges the elements and weapons and approaches the distressed looking god, he senses her presence and extends out a hand to stop her while the other is still placed on his head. A nearby army of weapons shoots towards her, but the clone substitutes her body with a torch and continues her pursuit. He tries to stop her once more, but she leaps behind Jashin and spins around. As she spins around, I see Jashin pulling out his own personal kunai and I weave hand signs. Just as he jams his kunai backwards to stab the clone into the stomach to get rid of her, her and I switch places. I feel the kunai plunge into my own stomach, but I carry on my mission as I push forward, dislodging the kunai further into me, and I activate my chakra scalpels for good measure as I extend my hands out and tear off the mask from Jashin's face in one quick motion. The mask falls to the ground and I jerk back, roll around Jashin to snatch up the mask and I hop a few spaces away.

Then, everything grows intense and still. The seats that Jashin had activated suddenly cuts off and a heavy amount of dark chakra shoots out of the seals instead and heads towards my direction. I go to jump out of the way, but it follows me and attacks the mask. I gasp and drop the mask as I move away from it. This dark chakra starts to fill up the room as it pours out of the seals and into the mask. At the same time this is going on, I hear a shout of rage coming from Jashin and watch as an explosion of dark chakra erupts from his body and it begins to gather into the air. The foreign chakra lingers in the air for a moment as it bobs up and down, like it was trying to get back into Jashin's body. And then, it blends in with the other dark chakra and continues to stream into the mask.

After several minutes of this, the dark chakra is all sealed into the mask and I watch as the half completed Jashin symbol suddenly becomes whole. I turn to Jashin and I study his newly revealed face. He has fair skin, large baby blue eyes, and red bangs are peeking out of the bandages and covering his forehead. The god turns to look at me and, strangely, gives me a kind smile.

"T-Thank you," Jashin says in a gentle, slightly higher tone of voice; a complete 180 to how he has been speaking.

I give him a puzzled look and furrow my eyebrows in suspicion. Then, he closes his eyes and passes out onto the ground.

Wait… he just passed out? No way.

I scan over his body with my Byakugan and I notice that the chakra that was once in his body is totally gone. In fact, the evil killing intent that was radiating off of his body is gone and I'm not getting a bad feeling from him anymore.

Is it because of that dark chakra that left his body? Was that the same chakra that I saw in his body before?

I suddenly feel compelled to test out a theory that is suddenly itching the back of my mind, so I pull out the kunai that is still pierced inside of my stomach and hobble over to his body. I pick up his hand and lightly sliced his wrist. I widen my eyes and gasp as the kunai tears through the bandages and a tiny stream of blood drips out.

I turn my head towards Sakura and Sasuke. "Guys! I managed to make him bleed!"

"You what?!" Sakura shouts back in disbelief and they both start to hobble over towards me.

As they drew near, I showed them Jashin's bleeding wrist. "It seems like that mask was protecting him from being harmed somehow and now he is weak without it." I look up at Sasuke and Sakura. "I don't know whether he is immortal like Hidan or that woman, but I am pretty sure that this person was just impersonating a god."

Sakura picks up the mask and looks over it. "I wonder why all of that chakra automatically sealed itself back into this mask as soon as you took it off of the man. Is it really that powerful?"

I arch an eyebrow. "You actually saw the chakra? I would expect Sasuke and I to see it, but not you."

Sakura nods. "I guess the chakra was strong enough to actually be that visible."

Sasuke narrows his eyes. "Well, whatever is going on, we need to hurry back to Yugakure and have this guy restrained before he wakes up."

Sure, let's just go without freaking about the fact that we were almost just killed many times and we may or may not have just fought a god. But, being a Shinobi trains us to not act or feel in the moment in these type of situations and act level headed and rational.

Sakura averts her eyes towards me. "Hinata, you seem to always end up chopping someone's head off. Would you like to have the honor to cut his off?"

When it comes to Jashin or a Jashinist, I wouldn't think twice about slicing their head off. However, I am hesitating this time around because I'm getting the strange feeling that it is going to be a bad idea if I do so. When you were around this guy with his mask on or Hidan or that woman, you could just feel the evil off of them. With this guy's mask off, I don't feel in danger around him. His personal chakra is actually moving and I believe that was the chakra that I had seen trapped within the dark chakra.

Call me crazy after the intense fight we just went through, but I don't this guy is bad. I think that mask is.

"Eh, I don't know about that," I tell her and she frowns in confusion. "Let's just do what Sasuke says and hurry to Yugakure before he wakes up."

Sakura hands over the mask to me. "Um, okay. Well, you're the leader so whatever you say, Hinata."

I retrieve the mask from her and I pull out a storage scroll to seal up the mask. I place the scroll back into my weapons pouch and then I look over at my Shadow Clones.

"You two stay here and watch over this place," I order them. "We'll be back later with a group from Yugakure to investigate it."

My Shadow Clones nod in understanding and Sasuke and I go to carry the man while Sakura leads the way up the stairs. As we travel back to Yugakure, I can't help but to keep thinking about this whole situation.

I mean, we were in some deep shit before something seemed to go wrong with Jashin and he stopped to grab his head. What was going on? He had the perfect chance to torture us or kill us right then and there. We were _this_ close to knocking on death's door. What prevented him from not carrying on his attack? He had that battle in the bag.

And, if that dark chakra didn't belong to this man, who does it belong to? Like, that was a lot of chakra coming out of his body and all of those seals. And, any Shinobi could sense that chakra was nothing but pure evil.

You know, I was really hoping to search for answers once we found the hideout, but I'm leaving with no answers and even more questions.

Looks like we're going to have to rely on Norio to help us figure things out once more.

It takes a little longer than usual to head back to Yugakure since we are carrying a man twice our size and weight, but we finally arrive. We immediately rush over to Norio's place because we just now realized that we really don't know where they've been taking the Jashinists. After almost breaking down his door for the second time that day, we get no answers so we hurry off to Hiroki's building. It is a tall and important building, so maybe they are holding them captive there.

I mean, Norio better be here because this man is starting to get very heavy and I am very wounded right now.

We enter the building and ignore the receptionist's demands of telling us to stop as we make our way up the stairs. As we run up them, we almost smack right into Norio.

Norio gives us a strange yet frantic look. "Why are you guys here? What is going on on? Who's he?"

I slightly widen my eyes at his barrage of questions. "Calm down. We should be the ones freaking out on you."

Norio runs a head through his hair. "My apologies, but it is kind of hard to remain calm when all three of your supposedly headless immortals suddenly have a dark entity shoot out of their bodies and then die on you."

I give him a bewildered look. "They what?!"

My excitement catches up to me and I start to cough which sends painful vibes down my cracked ribs and wounded stomach.

I swear if I wasn't on these pills right now and had all of this energy that I would be passed out on the floor.

Norio waves his hand. "I'll explain more about that later. Sasuke, I'll help you with this guy and you can explain to me what happened. Sakura and Hinata, you need to get to the hospital. You two look terrible, especially you, Hinata."

I know that I need to seek treatment so I do not go against Norio's wishes. "Alright, but we're not staying overnight there or anything. We're coming straight back here as soon as we've been treated because I want to know what the heck is going on here."

I thought our situation was crazy and now Norio tells us that all three of our captives just had dark chakra sucked out of them and they died on us?

Seriously, what the hell is going on here?!

 **Author's Note: I leave this on another cliffhanger because I know you guys hate cliffhangers but I enjoy leaving you all in suspense. Besides that, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!**


	37. Chapter 37: The God of Evil Arc

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **The God of Evil Arc**

 **Chapter thirty-seven**

"I can't believe they're making me stay overnight," I complain as I shift around to sit up in my hospital bed.

Sakura sits by my bedside and crosses her arms. "Your ribs are cracked, you were stabbed in the stomach by a kunai, and half of your body is bandaged up because of your burns. I'm surprised you even argued with the nurses in the first place."

I arch an eyebrow. "When you've been in the hospital as many times as I have, you'll understand. Besides I want to know what is going on. Why isn't Norio and Sasuke here yet?"

Sakura shrugs. "Just be patient. I'm sure they are locking that guy up and probably checking out the hideout or something before they come here to tell us anything."

Well, I guess she's right. There's really no need to get worked up about all of this until they come back. It has been one hectic day, anyways. I just need to calm down and relax.

"So, how do you like your new haircut?" I ask, trying to change the subject.

Sakura runs a hand through her now shoulder-length pink hair. "It's… a change. I'll have to get used to it. I really wasn't planning on cutting it, but I guess things happen."

"I think it suits you," I tell her. "It will be easier to manage and it won't be in your way as much on missions or during training." Then, I smirk. "I bet Ino is going to think you're copying her now since you cut your hair off."

Sakura snarls. "Please. I look better with short hair than her. If Ino-pig even thinks I am mimicking her than she has another thing coming!"

I chuckle. "Since the two of you have short hair now, I guess I better start growing mine out then to look different."

Sakura smiles. "I've always thought you would look so pretty with long hair! To me, girls with dark hair look great when it is long."

I touch a strand of my hair. "Ah, I don't know about that. I like the way it looks now."

Sakura waves her hand. "It is your hair so you can do whatever with it. I'm just telling you what I think would look good for you!"

Looking good isn't going to matter in a life or death battle, Sakura.

We sit in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Sakura speaks again. "You're a really great friend, Hinata."

I raise my eyebrows. "Thank you. But, why are you suddenly saying that?"

She closes her eyes. "I'm just remembering what you said to that woman when you thought she had almost killed me."

"Please… please don't kill her. Kill me. Kill me instead!"

She opens her eyes. "You were willing to give up your own life for me."

I blink in surprise.

During that moment, I wasn't really thinking about myself. I was deeply convinced that Sakura was about to die and I was trying anything that I could to prevent that from happening.

I tilt my head towards her. "Sakura, you are one of my closest friends. Of course I was willing to do that for you. I know I don't hang out with you as often as I do Sasuke or Naruto. I know I don't pick and cut around with you like I do with Shikamaru. However you and I have our own special connection going on and I consider you one of the ones that is precious to me."

Sakura gives me a kind smile and I notice her eyes are welling up with tears. "Thank you, Hinata. I liked hearing that."

I smile back at her. "I'm just speaking the truth."

I have been talking to Sakura and giving her advice off and on since we were children. When we became teammates, of course I grew closer to her. Despite her annoying tendencies with Ino and Sasuke, she really is someone I enjoy having in my life.

Maybe I should start hanging out with her more outside of our Shinobi lives.

* * *

Norio comes by my hospital room a few hours later right around dinner time. He brings little bentos of chicken and rice for Sakura and I to eat.

"Thank you," I say as I take by first bite. "I'm starving."

Norio gives me a small smile. "I bet you are. You've had a long and busy day."

Sakura swallows her food. "Where's Sasuke?"

"He is still investigating the hideout with the other officials," Norio explains. "I had to finish writing up a report on what happened to our captives from my perspective and then start another one from what happened down at the hideout as told by Sasuke. I was getting tired of writing so I took a break to see how you two were doing."

If Sasuke is helping out with the investigation, that means my Shadow Clones that were guarding it should be as well. So, I should be getting memories from them soon.

"Well, I wanted to come straight back after I was treated to figure out what is going on, but the staff insisted I stay overnight so they can watch over my burns," I tell Norio. "But, since you are here now, I am dying for some answers."

Norio sits at the foot of my bed and sighs. "To be honest, I really don't have any yet. We still don't know exactly why our captives died, but I think it has something to do with that dark chakra that came out of them. Sasuke mentioned that you three saw the same color of chakra when you removed the mask from the young male. Maybe the mask, the dark chakra, and their deaths are all connected in someway? We would like to interrogate the prisoner about everything, but he is still unconscious, unfortunately."

I furrow my eyebrows together. "I just hope he wakes up before our soldier pills wear off because we will be knocked out for a few days after that. Actually, I would like to speak to him personally, if I am allowed, once he wakes up. I don't get the same bad feeling from him as I did when he was wearing that mask. Like you said, I do believe that the mask has some connection to everything that is going on. The question is, but how?"

Sakura points her chopsticks towards me. "The guy did thank you and the half looking Jashin symbol on it did become whole again once you ripped the mask off of him. What if Jashin was possessing that man's body through that mask somehow and the only way to stop him was by removing the mask, which in return sealed him up? All that dark chakra we saw did go back into that mask. Maybe that was his chakra."

I blink. "That… that actually makes sense. When in the world did you think of that?"

Sakura shrugs. "Just now. I may not be as intelligent or quick thinking as you and Shikamaru, but I have my moments."

I shake my head. "I wasn't insinuating that you are dumb. I'm just surprised that I didn't think of that. It sounds so very obvious."

"If your theory is correct, Sakura, I would have to question how did all of that dark chakra get into our captives?" Norio wonders. "I know they probably hung around that hideout a lot, but that was a lot of chakra that was sucked out of them. We did find Jashin's symbols being used as a seal mixed with their chakra and a foreign chakra. Maybe that dark chakra was the foreign chakra?"

"That's just a lot of chakra," I say. "But, it makes sense if he's actually a god."

Sakura snorts. "If Jashin is actually a god, you would think he wouldn't need to possess someone to walk the earth. I don't think he's a god, but just a very powerful Shinobi."

I raise my eyebrows. "What human being possesses that much chakra and it is the color of black?"

He has more chakra than Naruto does!

Sakura tilts her head. "Jashin."

Smartass.

* * *

Around nightfall, Sasuke finally pays us a visit at the hospital.

"We didn't find anything related to Jashin," Sasuke answers after we asked him how the investigation went. "However, we did find a navy blue journal stored away in a desk in the sanctuary that may have belonged to somebody; perhaps that guy or one of the captives. It wouldn't open so we assumed it has probably been sealed shut using fūinjutsu, even though there is no seal visible." Sasuke turns to Norio. "Hiroki wanted me to tell you that he would like the reports submitted by tomorrow morning. He would also like for you to swing by his office whenever you leave so you can take a look at the journal."

Norio nods and reaches down to grab his backpack. "Thank you for letting me know, Sasuke. I have taken too long of a break anyways and should be heading out now. Hinata, take it easy and try not to stress yourself out. If we get any information, I promise we will notify you three as soon as possible."

I scratch the back of my neck with my uninjured arm. "Heh, thank you. I'll try to relax."

We say our goodbyes to Norio and he leaves the room, closing the door behind him.

I glance over at Sasuke. "Have you eaten anything? Norio came by with some dinner for us while you were out."

Sasuke nods and leans against the wall beside of my bed. "Yeah, I went by the hotel to grab something to eat and to see if you two were there before I came here. I remember you saying that you weren't going to stay overnight, but it appears your injuries were worse than you thought."

I roll my eyes. "Oh, don't chastise me. At least I know to rest my body when I am wounded unlike you."

Sakura shifts her eyes over to me. "After you argued with the hospital staff to try and convince them not to keep you here for the night."

I shoot Sakura a dirty look as Sasuke arches an eyebrow with mild interest. "Will you get over that? You're supposed to be on my side!"

"Hn. Sounds like somebody's being a little hypocrite," Sasuke taunts.

I rub my face. "Ugh. Be quiet. I'm not looking for another argument like yesterday."

Sakura looks at the two of us and then sighs. "Can you two just apologize and make up already?"

I really hate apologizing and Sasuke is too stubborn to ever do such a thing. As much as I complain about Sasuke's ego and pride, I will admit mine can be just as bad as his in situations like this.

I ignore Sakura's pleas. "I never recieved my memories from my Shadow Clones, Sasuke. Were they still at the hideout when you left?"

Sakura hangs her head. "I guess that's a no."

"Yes," Sasuke replies, ignoring Sakura as well. "I instructed them to watch over the hideout longer unless you want to release them."

"No, they can remain there," I tell him. "I was just wondering."

"Hn. Okay."

Sakura randomly gets up from her chair and starts to walk over towards the door.

"Where are you going?" I ask her.

Sakura spins around and dramatically huffs. "Oh, so now you remember that I'm here? If you actually care, I'm going to get a drink from the vending machine."

I groan. "Sakura, please don't act like this."

Sakura just flips her hair in response and heads out.

I flicker my eyes over towards Sasuke and find him staring at a picture of a meadow of colorful flowers that is hanging on the wall.

"She's probably just leaving in hope of us making up while she's not here," I inform Sasuke, even though he isn't paying attention to me. Sasuke doesn't say anything so I try again. "Look, we were both in the wrong yesterday, whether we want to admit it or not. You were in a bad mood and I kept egging you on instead of ignoring it."

"You're right. Let's just forget that incident even happened," Sasuke says without looking at me.

I give him a hard look. "Is there something more going on, Sasuke?"

Sasuke turns his head towards me and he slightly softens his facial expression. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Like I just said, let's just forget what happened. I don't like arguing with you and there is more important things to focus on right now."

I take a deep breath and nod. "You're right."

But, is he actually fine? Is he telling me the truth? I didn't miss the part where he glazed over my question and indirectly answered me.

Well, this has been a very stressful mission and emotions have been running high. Everybody handles things differently and it isn't abnormal for Sasuke to lash out in frustration at times.

Maybe I'm just overthinking things.

* * *

One side effect of taking solider pills is that our bodies do not want to sleep with all of that extra chakra and energy running through our systems. So, the three of us became pretty bored throughout the night. Sasuke left sometime to go train and Sakura eventually headed back to the hotel so she can take a shower and relax in her bed with her book. Even though I was enjoying their company, I didn't mind them leaving since I didn't want them to feel obligated to stay and entertain me while I am on bedrest. The nurses checked on me periodically and I was finally released from the hospital around mid-morning the next day, even though they preferred I stayed a little longer.

But, I do not go and do anything reckless as soon as I leave. The first thing I do after leaving is head over to the hot springs to soothe my wounds since they are known to help speed up the healing process. The springs burns my already charred skin as soon as it makes contact, but relaxation soons overwhelms and puts me in a peaceful state of mind. After soaking my body, I dry off, carefully bandaged myself, and head over to the hotel to see what Sasuke and Sakura are doing. As I approach the hotel, I notice Sasuke and Sakura walking out the doors and start to run in the opposite direction.

"Hey! Wait up!" I call out to them as I hurry over as fast as I could without hurting myself.

They stop dead in their tracks, spin around, and Sakura pinches her nose. "Don't tell me you snuck out of the hospital! We were just about to do that ourselves."

I give her a quizzical look. "What? No, I didn't… What are you even talking about?"

"Norio sent a messenger hawk just now to tell us that the prisoner has woken up and has been requesting our presence," Sasuke explains. "He has been interrogated, but won't answer any questions unless we come."

Hmmm, I wonder why he wants to see us so bad? I mean, I have been wanting to talk to him, but I expected for us to be the ones to want to approach him first. Not the other way around.

Not knowing where we are going, I follow Sakura and Sasuke across the village. We end up in the outskirts at a windowless grey building with a high barbed wire fence surrounding the whole place. We approach the gate where we see Norio standing up front, waiting on us.

"Before you ask, I don't know why he wants to see the three of you," Norio says to us in a mildly annoyed voice as we walk through the gate. "I do know that he won't answer anything that is asked unless he sees you three and it is getting on my last nerves. What he can say to you three, he can say to the interrogator."

Woah, I've never seen Norio so pissed off. He's usuallypretty chill and laid-back.

We enter the building, walk past the front desk without a word, and Norio waves a card over a small black panel so we can go through the thick doubled doors. We go down a few hallways and pass through four more sets of doors before we make our way into a large room filled with nothing but prison cells. I notice that most of the cells are empty as we stride past them, but several are still occupied.

To me, this indicates that Yugakure is a pretty safe place to live if you don't have murderous immortals running around the place.

We go up a short staircase and heads to the last cell on the right. This cell appears to be more secure than the others. The other cells had bars while this one has a white windowless door with many different locks on it. Norio pulls three small rectangular boxes from his backpack, presses a red button on the side, and hands the devices to each of us.

"These things are going to record everything that is said while you three are in there," Norio tells us as we slide the recorders into our weapons pouch. "It will just make it easier on everybody so I can hear everything word for word without having you three explain what happened for my reports."

Sakura narrows her eyes. "So, it is safe to just walk in there, right? He isn't hostile or angry?"

Norio shakes his head. "He acted perfectly calm around the interrogator, who isn't a Shinobi with the skills and knowledge to defend himself unlike the three of you. The only fault of the prisoner is that he isn't cooperating with us unless we meet his request." He pulls out a set of keys. "Are you three ready to go in?"

We all nod in unison and Norio quickly unlocks all thirteen various bolts before opening the door. We enter the jail cell and the door closes and locks many times behind us. The man is bound to a chair with bindings around his body to restrain his chakra. He hears us walk in, lifts up his head, and gives us a tired yet mildly relieved look. I blink in surprise as I notice that his bandages are gone and he is wearing a loose white tee shirt and black bottoms. With his bandages gone, we can actually see what he looks like now, and I can say that he looks very familiar. He has tousled red hair with bangs that cover his large baby blue eyes, a small yet pointed nose, and thin lips. He appears to be in his mid to late twenties. Even though he is sitting, I can tell by his torso and legs that he is pretty tall.

After a couple minutes of silences, I clear my throat to break it. "Why did you want to see us?"

The man scrunches up his face, as if he has to remember why he asked for us. "I… This… Could… Could you tell me something…?"

"It depends," Sasuke replies coldly.

The man swallows. "Is there a war going on?"

A war? What?

The three of us exchange looks and I shake my head no. "The Third Shinobi war ended over ten years ago."

The man widens his eyes. "T-The Third?"

This man looks genuinely shocked and confused right now. What's going on?

I arch an eyebrow. "Yes, the Third. You seem surprised to hear that."

Our captive doesn't react as he bows his head. He remains quiet for a few minutes until he sighs. "I requested to see the three of you because you saved me from that damn bastard and I feel that you deserve to hear the truth first."

Sakura knits her eyebrows together. "What truth? Are you saying that you aren't Jashin?"

The man nods. "I am not Jashin. The mask that I was wearing has him sealed inside, but I will explain more about that later. I need to start from the very beginning and tell you my backstory for everything to make sense."

"Well, let's hear it," Sasuke says as he leans against the wall to get comfortable.

"First things first, I should introduce myself," the man tells us and takes a deep breathe."My name is Uzumaki Kazyou, I suppose I should be somewhere in my thirties or forties, and I last remember this nation being the middle of the Second Shinobi World War before my mind and body was taken over by Jashin."

My jaw drops.

Sakura gasps.

Sasuke widens his eyes.

This… This guy is an Uzumaki?! That explains the red hair! But, I was confused about everything else he just said. He doesn't even look like he's in his forties yet he remembers the Second War? That was like over twenty years ago! None of this makes any sense!

Kazyou chuckles dryly. "I cannot tell if you guys believe me or not. Either way, this is why I need to tell you my story so you three can believe me."

We don't say anything back since we are still in shock, so the Uzumaki takes another deep breath and begins his story without our consent.

"I was twenty-five years old when my hometown of Uzushiogakure was invaded and destroyed by Kirigakure. All of the other major countries were in the middle of fighting since the Second Shinobi World War was taking place, so this was Kirigakure's best chance to swoop in while everyone else was distracted and attacked us. They never gave a reason as to why they were invading us, but it was already obvious: The Uzumaki clan has always been feared by the rest of the world because of our skills in fūinjutsu. Fūinjutsu was not the most popular technique to hone, but some Shinobi still had it in their arsenal. However, no one was as good at is as an Uzumaki and I believe that is why Kirigakure took the opportunity to get rid of us. Uzu no Kuni is not that far away from Mizu no Kuni so they were probably afraid we would attack them since the war was going on, and they had no clue on how powerful we actually were.

"So, they ambushed us out of the blue. No warning. No nothing. I can honestly say that no one expected their arrival. It happened in the middle of the night and I woke up to a strong burning smell and screams of terror from just outside of my door. I jumped out of my bed and peeked out of window to see what was going on. Outside was pure hell. Everything from as far as I can see was on fire, people were getting killed left and right, and there were dead bodies lying around everywhere. I woke up my very pregnant wife and had her gear up, but remain hidden while I quickly geared up myself. I ran out to join the fighting to get rid of the enemies that were nearby. I had not even taken ten steps out of my house before a hail of senbons were thrown towards me by an enemy. I got out of the way just in time, rushed over to him, and snapped his neck. I briefly glanced down at him before taking off and noticed that he was wearing a Kiri hitai-ate."

I can't believe that Kirigakure...!

"I took down two more men before retrieving my wife and we snuck off. We planned on getting my wife to the gate so she can flee while I went through the village to take down as many enemies as I could while the remaining elderly, women, and children escaped. She was going to head towards an underground shelter just a few miles away from the village and wait for me. If I did not show up in two hours, she was to run to Konoha and stay there. As we hurried, we came across my parent's house and found it intact. I had my wife hide out back while I burst in to see if they were still there. I found them lying on the ground dead and with their arms dismembered. It seemed like someone had broken through a window and ambushed the two of them while they were asleep.

"I remember my breathe getting knocked out of me as I saw their condition and I wanted to fall to my knees and breakdown. They were expecting their first grandchild in about a month and were very excited to become grandparents. They even had a nursery set up from where my old bedroom used to be for when my child was born and they get to watch it. Now, they would never get to meet it and I would never see them or hear their voices again. But, I knew I couldn't because we were in the middle of an invasion so I snapped out of it and ran back outside to my wife. She could tell what happened by the look on my face."

Kazyou pauses to take a deep breathe.

"By this point, we were halfway to the gate and had been successful in not getting caught. However, our luck ran out once we came across a little girl crying over her murdered mother. She was probably only six or seven years old. I was going to be selfish and carry on without stopping to check on her for our own safety, but my wife took pity on her and wanted to bring her with us. My wife had a huge heart when it came to children so I already knew she wouldn't take no for an answer. So, we diverted off our path really quick and headed out into the open, over towards the child. The little girl noticed us, jumped around, and held up a bloody kunai as her whole body shook in fear. I was sure that was the same kunai that was probably used to stab her mother, but I walked over to her anyways and held out my arms. The little girl sensed that I wasn't an enemy, but hesitated for a second as she looked back down at her mother. My wife told her that everything was going to be okay if she just came with us. The girl didn't say anything, but she trusted us enough to leap into my arms and I gathered her up.

"We go to take off again, but three Kiri Shinobi suddenly appear. Without hesitating, all three of them slung an array of projectile weapons towards us. Since my hands were full, my wife weaves handsigns and slams her palms down to have a wall made of the earth rise up to protect us. We take this chance to escape and the Shinobi follow after us. Carrying a little girl in my arms and traveling with a pregnant wife would've been fine if we were still sneaking around, but not when we were being chased. We were slow and they were rapidly catching up to us. I hastily made the decision to setthe girl and down and instructed my wife to escape with her while I handle these three. My wife was a very capable Shinobi, but she can only do so much while pregnant. I was confident she could get to the gate since we were so close. She doesn't protest and we kiss each other before she takes the girl by the hand.

"Just as she does so, the Kiri Shinobi show up. I pull out my inkset, a scroll, and quickly unleash a large vortex to momentarily blast them back while my wife and the little girl escape. This doesn't hold them off for long and they retaliate with several jutsus. Compared to the other three men that I killed off, these three were more difficult to fight and clearly more advanced. But, never underestimate an Uzumaki when it comes to their fūinjutsu so I eventually defeat them after a long and grueling match. At this point, I had used up a lot of my chakra since it was three against one and I knew I couldn't fight another battle like that. I had to escape and meet up with my wife so we could flee to Konoha.

"I finally make it to the gate and I leave Uzushiogakure without looking back. The countryside that surrounded Uzushiogakure had many steep hills so I was able to hide around without being caught by any lurking Kiri Shinobi. I was about two miles out when I passed a thick patch of bushes and instantly stopped when an overwhelming smell of blood overtakes my senses. Suddenly, a very bad feeling hits my gut and I feel compelled to search through the bushes to see what was the cause of this smell. I cover my nose and walked over into the bushes to take a peek. As soon as I saw what was causing the smell, my heart shattered and I fell to my knees in devastation. My wife was lying there in a pool of blood, dead. She was on her back so I saw that her throat had been slashed, a kunai pierced into her chest, and there was a deep gash running through her stomach and down to her pelvis. The gash had been torn open and my unborn baby had been taken out and was lying beside of my wife, also dead."

Kazyou swallows.

"I crawled over to my wife and I reached my hand underneath her head to lift her up. Her brown eyes were still opened and I looked into them for one last time before I bent down to kiss her forehead then I closed them. By this point, I was starting to breathe heavily and I felt my mind starting to slip. I made my way over to my baby, picked it up, and realized that I would have been the father to a beautiful little boy. Now, I couldn't contain myself and I just collapsed to the ground with my son still in my arms, and wept. After awhile, I couldn't produce anymore tears and I felt my body go numb. I went into a blank state of mind as I started to give my wife and son a proper burial. Once I was finished, I aimlessly glanced around and it hit me that the little girl we brought with us was missing. But, she wasn't of my concern anymore as she was probably dead anyways. Everybody by this point was dead. My mother, my father, my wife, and my son. My village was in flames and pretty much destroyed. Those who were able to survive and escape were long gone and would have to completely started their lives over. And, we didn't deserve any of this. I didn't deserve any of this.

"I started to see red now and my body started to move on its own as I felt my legs run back towards the direction of the village. The only thing on my mind now was revenge and I knew the perfect way. By this point, Uzushiogakure had been fully invaded and destroyed and most of the enemies were gone. A few remained here and there to finish up, but I ignored them as I headed towards my destination. If any of them had decided to cross me, I would've killed them without any mercy. I made it to my destination at the other side of the village and found, with relief, that it hadn't been touched. The enemy may have tried to destroyed it, but a large protective barrier surrounded the building and those who knew how to get through were able to enter. Being the son of the person who created the barrier, I was easily able to enter the building. However, due to clan secrecies, I will not disclose what building I am talking about.

"Anyways, I retrieved the object from the building that I came there to get, resealed the barrier, and left. In order to go through with my newfound mission, I would have to have this item to help me out. The item happened to be Jashin Mask. Now, this mask was sealed away and never used for a reason. Once a person places the mask on, the seal automatically comes undone three-fourths of the way. It is enough for Jashin's chakra to leak through and manifest his presence to have it take control of your body. However, it had been recorded that past users of this mask were able to regain control of their bodies again because Jashin was satisfied enough with all the killing he was able to partake in and would willingly be sealed away again. But, by the time I came across the mask, it hadn't been used in ages and I wasn't aware that he was pretty restless at this time.

"I didn't put the mask on as soon as I took it. I wanted to inform Konoha of what had happened since we are allies and I wanted them to back me up. I knew that Jashin was a very dangerous and powerful god, but I wasn't sure if he could take out a whole nation. So, I left Uzu no Kuni and I fled west to Hi no Kuni. Well, at least that was my plan. As I reached the port, I found some of the refugees that left the village dead. There were a small army of Kiri Shinobi patrolling the ports and I was severely outnumbered. Not having any other choice, I placed the mask on my face and channeled some of my chakra into it to undo three-fourths of the seal. As soon as I did, I instantly felt a foreign chakra run through my system and I felt my conscious start to fade away as a different presence started to enter. Before I knew it, Jashin had taken over my body and I was merely hanging out in the background in some void, watching everything through his eyes.

"Jashin moved my limbs around and then spoke out loud to me, wondering why I had summoned him. Somehow, he was able to hear me as I explained everything to him from wherever I was; a void, another dimensions, my/his conscious. He agreed to kill these Kiri Shinobi and help me sail across the ocean without any sort of protest or deals from his end. I watch as he runs closer to the port so he can be seens and immediately was surrounded by ten or so men. Jashin doesn't get into fighting stance or prepares any jutsu to defend. He just glanced around at his new victims and flicks my hand. A shockwave shootsout of my body and knocked back the men. I expected for them to get back up after being hit by the force, but none of them do. I asked Jashin what just happened and he tells me that he did what I asked of him and killed those men. Apparently, he had managed to break every bone in their bodies and ruptured their organs with that shockwave.

"The rest of the Kiri Shinobi that were patrolling the ports, about thirty of them, showed up after hearing the commotion and charged after us with their weapons and jutsus. This time around. Jashin decided to have a little more fun and personally began to kill the men one by one. Even though he was in my body, he made it move faster than I ever could. He killed off each man one by one in a different manner; quick snap to the neck, a small shockwave to the body, a hand straight through the heart. On one of the men, he sent a small amount of his chakra into his body and the man instantly collapsed to the ground, violently convulsed, and then imploded. Jashin wasn't a being to underestimate.

"When everybody was dead and gone, I thanked Jashin and waited for him to go back into the mask. But, he never did. He told me that he thinks I should keep the mask on just incase we have to face anymore enemies. Being emotionally unstable and half out of chakra, I agreed and kept the mask on and tried to relaxed he controlled my body. We sailed for about a day until we reached the shores of Hi no Kuni. We abandoned the boat and I gave Jashin directions to Konoha. On the boat he had promised me that I would be able to remove the mask once we reach Konoha. That way, he was able to kill more people if needed and I can remain safe. We headed northwest for a few hours until we came across a small town that appeared run down and damaged from the after effects of the war. I told Jashin that we could just go around the town, but he insisted on going through it. He claimed he wanted to explore before returning to his slumber in the mask. Since I really couldn't do anything about it, Jashin slowly walked through the town.

"The town was mostly deserted, but Jashin could sense that there were still some people here and there. Their chakra levels were really low and Jashin was able to determine that they were on the verge of dying, probably those who weren't able to flee. Jashin entered one of the buildings that used to be a hospital and went into a room full of injured people, mostly the elderly. They glanced over at Jashin as he strolled through the room like he owned the place, but nobody said anything or tried to stop him. It was like all of their energy and focus were going towards living.

"Jashin went up to an older lady that had a makeshift sling on her arm and her stomach was bandaged with blood stained bed sheets. Jashin didn't bat an eye as he raised an arm, wrapped my fingers are the old woman's throat, and crushed it. I watch in shock as he continued to snap her neck and then slits her throat with one of my kunai. Blood started to gush out and Jashin took handfuls of it. It ran down my hands and he poured it onto the ground. Around us, the wound people were just staring at us and in fear and disbelief. One of them even tried to escape, but Jashin sent a shockwave his way without even moving and he instantly was dead. Jashin smeared the blood that he poured onto the ground with his foot and created a circle with an upside down triangle drawn inside. Then, he started to create some handsigns.

"Suddenly, I felt a mixture of mine and his chakra channel itself out of my body and into the bloody seal. Not knowing what was going on, I began to fight back and tried to regain control of my chakra. At first, my attempt started to work and I felt myself starting to regain control of my body. In the void I was in, I started to run closer towards the portal that I've been able to view through to see what Jashin had been seeing. I got to it and tried to go through it. As I pushed my arms through the portal, I felt my body freeze and an unknown force struggled to pull me back. I knew I wasn't going to be able to break free, so I started to weave hand signs while my arms were outside of the portal to start sealing the mask up. If I couldn't escape then the both of us were going to have to be sealed up within the mask. I wouldn't be able to get my revenge on Kirigakure, but I couldn't have a monster like Jashin unleashed in this world. Especially when we are in the middle of a war.

"A good portion of Jashin's chakra started to get sealed up and I got to sel up only half the seal before his power overwhelmed me and I was pushed back into my void. Mine and his chakra stopped channeling itself out of my body and I hear Jashin curse at me in anger. It appeared that I had prevented Jashin's from using any of his original powers anymore by sealing up some of the seal, but a lot of his chakra still remained in my system, allowing him to remain in control of my body. But, Jashin informed me that just because I did that doesn't mean I fully stopped him. By channeling our chakras into the symbol he drew, he told me that he can now make anybody immortal like him whenever he created this symbol now. With my chakra, and knowing how to perform some fūinjutsu since he's been in several bodies of the Uzumaki clan before me, he turned his symbol into an actual seal and then used his chakra to channel his infinite amount of lifeforce into it. At the time, I didn't understand why he would want to create something like that in the first place if he is already immortal himself."

Ugh, I can't believe Jashin tricked and used Kazyou like that! Well, I mean, I can but still...

"He proceeded to kill everyone else in the room and then left the town. As he left, he suddenly changed courses and headed north. I start to panic and asked him where we were going. He doesn't answer me and ignored me for two days. During those two days, I retreated to the back of my void and became lost in my thoughts. Everything was going downhill for me. I just lost my hometown. I lost everyone that I ever loved. I lost my chance to seek revenge. I lost my freewill. I was going to be stuck here forever. I paid more attention to my surroundings once I heard voices that weren't coming from me or Jashin. I looked out of the portal and noticed that about twenty or so men and women were conversing with Jashin. They were all dressed in raggedy clothes and appeared half starved. As I listened into their conversation, I learned that Jashin had placed these seals within all of these people sometime during these past two days. He had promised them the power of immortality to fight against the Shinobi in this war that destroyed their homes. In exchange, they had to kill as many people as they could and explained the process in doing so, which I believe all three of you are already familiar with. Apparently, the sacrifices that Jashin receives when his seal is drawn automatically channels back to him, no matter where he is at, and makes him grow stronger. This better my chances of remaining in this void and allows for my personal body to gain strength. Since I kind of ruined Jashin's plans when I sealed up his powers, he is going to use my powers in return. But, they are going to be more powerful because his chakra is mixed in with it, plus whatever energy/chakra he gets from his sacrifices. To this day, I still don't understand how that whole process works.

"Anyways, Jashin's army of immortals ended up being a failure because he had turned everyday poor citizens into these immortals. None of them lived up to Jashin's expectations when it came to killing and his sacrifices. So, he undid their seals, killed them off, and moved on. He had a lot of trial and error for a while. I didn't know how long I had been in this void at this point so I had lost all track of time. I usually just looked out the portal to see what was going on or focused on happier times in my life. I tried to break out every once in awhile, but Jashin remained too powerful for me to do so and pushed me back every single time.

"Sometime later, Jashin finally found the perfect followers and reassigned them to the current hideout.. Jashin was able to hide since his followers have been successful in giving him sacrifices and he had no need to leave. The only thing he enjoyed was the feeling of power that he was getting. He never admitted it to me, but I think he was hoping he would learn how to undo the seal one day so he can be completely free. But, one day he found another perfect follower named Hidan. To test Hidan, he ordered Jashin to pair up with one of his other followers and then go out and kill him. The other follower hadn't been killing much lately or coming around and Jashin didn't want the man to get the urge to blab about Jashin or anything like that. So, he secretly took away his immortality and paired the two together. Hidan came back later and informed Jashin that he had killed his partner and Jashin grew very fond of him. However, Jashin didn't know that recruiting Hidan was going to send everything he worked for downhill because you three would come into the picture.

"Well, apparently another boy and an older man helped defeat Hidan, but you get where I am coming from. After Hidan was defeated, he sent a prayer to Jashin and asked him to punish the girl who took off his head. That is when he described you, girl. This is when I found out I had apparently not taken away all of Jashin's powers. Apparently, Jashin can be summoned with a verbal prayer and manifest his energy into the target's mind. Jashin cannot harm anybody while he is in their mind, but he can cast illusions and make them appear very believable. He waited to make his presence known when you visited the hot springs because he can make you go unconscious and hoped you would drown while everyone else was in their trance from the springs. However, your pink-haired friend noticed you and was able to prevent you from drowning. She tried to break Jashin from your mind, but a man with red eyes eventually broke you out instead." He pointed at Sasuke. "He had ther Sharingan and he resembled you, but it wasn't you. You didn't break the genjutsu until the second time, but by then Jashin was fed up with you-"

"You never told me that Itachi broke you out of the genjutsu the first time around!" Sasuke interrupts, snapping his head towards me.

I widen my eyes in shock. "I swear I didn't know! He must've done it when I was passed out, but why would he be around me in the first place?"

There were many times in Kazyou's very depressing tale where I wanted to interrupt in surprise or pity, but Sasuke finally did for me. Besides, this seems to be the perfect time to interrupt anyways and take in all of this information. We pretty much know how everything else goes from here.

Sasuke clenched his fist. "I don't know, but I would love to find that out! He should not have been around you in the first place!"

I raised my hands. "Just calm down, Sasuke. Let's not get off topic here."

Sasuke gritted his teeth. "I'm not getting off topic! This is very important news! If he was around you back then undetected, who knows how many other times he's been around you or around anybody else that I care for! He must've been trying to do something to you, but it backfired on him because he didn't know that you were already under a strong genjutsu!"

Kazyou stares at Sasuke. "It sounds like this man is very dangerous, but his actions that day said otherwise."

Sasuke turns to glare at Kazyou. "You don't know what you are talking about!"

Kazyou shakes his head. "I never said that I did. I am simply trying to tell you what he did to her that day was not done out of evil or spite. As soon as the boy watching over her left the room for a few minutes, the man entered the room in the form of a crow and transformed back into a human by her side. He just gazed at you for a second before bending down and breaking Jashin's illusions. What happened after that, I do not know."

I turn to Sasuke. "Obviously, nothing bad happened to me after that if I am still alive and walking around. Please just calm down and we can discuss this together in private or with Tsunade-sama when we get back to Konoha."

Sasuke gets really angry and fired up when it comes to Itachi and I really don't want him doing anything irrational right now. We need to finish listening to this man and then leave so we allow Norio to complete his reports.

Sasuke doesn't say anything, but he listens to me as leans back against the wall again and gets lost in his thoughts. I sigh in relief as I turn back to Kazyou and Sakura gives Sasuke a fretful glance.

"Would you like to finish your story?" I ask.

"The rest of it is not as important as the other parts of my story since you three already experienced the rest of it," Kazyou replies. "If it is important, all of those seals on the walls of the sanctuary were stored with my fūinjutsu techniques that Jashin had figured out over the years. He placed them there for a rainy day and it looked liked he needed it when it came to fighting you three. However, using those techniques required my chakra and Jashin had not used my chakra in a long time for combat. In fact, he was actually growing weaker since all of his captives were being killed or captured and he wasn't receiving as much sacrifices as he was used to. Combine that with using a lot of my chakra, I took the chance to to breakout once more as a distraction when he was able to kill the three of you. I wasn't able to breakout once again, but I had enough power to overwhelm him for a brief second to give you time to get closer to him. Then, I was finally set free."

As he ends his tale, I sit on the ground and tried to think over everything I was told.

I can't believe it was Kirigakure that was behind the destruction of Uzushiogakure and most of the Uzumaki clan. Why would they even want to in the first place? Did they think the Uzumaki's skill for fūinjutsu was actually a kekkei genkai? Gah, I feel terrible to hear that Kazyou came across his dead parents and had to bury his wife and son… it was brutal the way those two were murdered. Especially his wife.

And, Kazyou wanted to seek revenge on Kirigakure. His situation is similar to Sasuke. Both of their clans were massacred and they both want to get rid of the murderers that caused it. But, Kazyou appeared very level-headed and calm as he spoke his tale. He didn't grow emotional or angry. I'm not saying he's moved on, but I wonder if he wants to seek revenge now that he is free? This happened a long time ago and this would just cause a lot conflict between the two villages.

But, Jashin ended up being a god after all. And, a pretty damn strong one for that matter.

I just can't believe Kazyou has went through all of this and has been imprisoned this whole entire time while his body was being controlled. And, here he is binded to a chair and sitting in a jail cell like he is the real villain behind all of this.

Man, my head hurts now.

After about ten minutes of good, long silence, Kazyou breaks it. "I don't know what you three are thinking right now. But, I was just wondering could you answer some questions of mine since I am in a totally different time period now?"

I nod. "Sure."

It was only fair that we give him information now since he told us everything we wanted to know.

He clears his throat. "Okay. Let's start with this question first. When did the Second Shinobi World War end?"

I resist the urge to groan.

This is going to be a very long Q&A session.

 **Author's note: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I know a lot of information was thrown in your way, but that's what happens when you tie up loose ends. I was going to make this chapter longer, but then I realized it would be like having two chapters in one so I am splitting it up into another chapter. The next chapter will be the last chapter for this arc. A short Blank Period will occur and then another arc will start.**

 **P.S: Boruto has been out of a few episodes now. So far, who has been your favorite character? I personally love Inojin. He's so cute and snarky.**


	38. Chapter 38: The God of Evil Arc

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **The God of Evil Arc**

 **Chapter thirty-eight**

"Thank you for answering all of my questions," Kazyou says to us as he smiles. "I am very grateful."

I wave my hand. "It is no problem. You deserved some answers!"

It was a very tedious Q&A sessions and he asked about everything underneath the sun. But, he'd been imprisoned for the last twenty plus years. He needed to catch up.

"Can you answer a question for me, now?" Sasuke asks.

He had remained mostly silent during the questioning and didn't cooperate at all so I am slightly annoyed with him at the moment.

Kazyou nods. "Anything."

"We found a navy blue journal while we were searching the hideout and it is sealed shut," Sasuke explains. "Do you know anything about that?"

Kazyou doesn't drop his smile, but his face saddens a little. "Ah, you found that. It is mine. I just have some personal belongings stored in there so they wouldn't get stolen or ruined. If needed, I can undo the seals and have you look through it."

Sasuke half shrugs. "That wouldn't be up to me. We were just wondering about it since we came across it."

That journal is important to Kazyou, huh? I make a mental note to make sure nothing happens to it so it can be given back to him. I mean, we just recorded his tale and it is very believable so he should be all in the clear. It would take a very good liar and actor to come up with something as detailed and wild as that story was.

I look over at Sasuke and Sakura. "I'm pretty sure we are done here now unless the two of you have anymore questions. I know I don't." They both shake their head and I turn back to Kazyou. "Once again, I apologize for everything that you had to go through. After everything has been settled, I am highly confident you will be seen as innocent and be set free soon."

"Thank you," Kazyou replies. "I am forever in your debt. For now I got a lot to think about." He chuckles. "Well, I guess that's pretty much all I can do since I'm locked up."

Are all Uzumakis this positive about life?

We say our good-byes to Kazyou and Sasuke pounds on the cell door to hint to Norio to free us. Thirteen clicks later, the door opens and closes just as quick behind us.

"You three were in there for a long time," Norio tells us as he locks up. "I hope you got something out of him."

I pull out my recorder. "We got a lot of information. You're going to have a very long report to write,"

Norio takes the recorders from us and cuts them off. "I honestly can't wait. It is about time we received some answers around here."

Yeah, it isn't going to be the answers that you were expecting.

"What do you want us to do now?" Sakura asks Norio.

"Well, it is a little after lunchtime so I suggest you go grab something to eat," Norio says as he slings on his backpack. "You three aren't really needed anymore at the moment so you can enjoy the rest of the day."

After some more small talk, Norio leads us out of the prison and the three of us head towards the direction of the hotel for a general start.

"What are you two going to do now?" Sakura asks.

I shrug. "I really don't know. I'm not that hungry, I'm not tired, and I'm too injured to train. Did you have something in mind?"

Sakura slumps her shoulders. "No. That's why I asked. I'm in the same boat. You know, these soldier pills suck unless you're actually in a middle of a long and intense fight."

"And, we are only on day two," I remind her. "We still have tonight, tomorrow, and tomorrow night before they wear off and then we can knock out for a few days."

Sakura sighs. "Well, Norio did say that Michi doesn't have school today. Maybe I can find her and see if she wants me to train with her or something. You guys wanna come?"

"No," Sasuke grunts. "I'm heading back to the hotel."

If he is heading back to the hotel, then maybe I should, too. This would be the perfect opportunity to talk to him about Itachi and whatever else he's been having on his mind.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm going to head back, too," I tell Sakura. "If I get bored, I'll come looking for you."

Sakura picks up on what I'm really getting at and nods. "Okay. I'll see you guys later!"

She waves and leaves in the other direction.

I pick up the pace to match Sasuke's so I can walk alongside him. "What are you going to do once you get back to the hotel?"

"Why?" Sasuke questions.

I poke his shoulder. "So I can stalk you."

"You're doing a pretty good job at that right now," he shoots back.

I roll my eyes. "Just answer my question."

"Nothing," Sasuke finally answers.

I squint my eyes. "Nothing? You liar."

Sasuke doesn't say anything back and I huff. We walk in silence the rest of the way to the hotel. Once we went up the stairs, Sasuke starts to head off to his room without a word. I follow him and he abruptly stops, causing me to almost run into him.

"Go away, Hinata," Sasuke orders.

I don't budge. "I think we should talk."

"There's nothing to talk about. Now, just go to your room."

I shake my head, went around him, and I open his door. "Come on, Sasuke. You wanted to talk back at the prison."

Sasuke narrows his eyes. "Why can't you be like Sakura and get lost when I tell you to?"

I narrow my eyes back at him. "Unlike the other girls, I have a backbone when it comes to dealing with your personality." I slightly soften my expression. "Besides, we've been close forever. I know when something is bothering you and something has been for awhile."

Sasuke relaxes a little, but his voice is still sharp. "Even if there is something wrong it isn't any of your business."

I walk into Sasuke's hotel room and sit my little ass down on his bed. "If you want to be like this, fine. I can wait. I have all day."

Sasuke scoffs, stomps into the room, and slams the door behind him. "You're really getting on my last nerves, Hinata."

"I don't really care, Sasuke."

Sasuke trudges over to the window on the other side of the room and looks out it, ignoring me.

I sigh. "If you're not wanting to talk then I will do it for you. I already know what is wrong. You're angry about the whole Itachi thing. And, you have every right to be so I am not going to tell you how you should be feeling. I'm saying that even though he was near me, he didn't do anything to me. This happened a few months ago, way before we encountered him in that one town with Naruto and Jiraya-sama. I'm not saying he's suddenly a good guy for breaking me out of Jashin's genjutsu, but nothing happened to me. I'm fine."

"Hinata," Sasuke says. "Do you remember anything about that night?"

I nod. "Everything."

Sasuke turns around and furrow his eyebrows together. "So do I. One of the things I remember the most is how quick and easy Itachi was able to take his sword and pierce it through you. Even though he didn't kill you, he could have. Ever since that day, I vowed to protect you from getting harmed by him again. Obviously, that didn't happen and I just keep thinking that what if he comes back and actually kills you? He told me that night to seek him out once I obtained the same eyes as him, yet it seems like he keeps coming back around even when I'm not around. That's why I get so upset when it comes to you being around him and you already know this from our conversation back at the hospital. So, no. Don't sit and say you're fine because nothing is fine when it comes to Itachi."

Oh, I only wish Sasuke knew the truth about his brother. I really don't know why Itachi would come back near me after my Shadow Clone encountered him in the forest, but he must've known something was up if he did. He probably figures I'm one of the few that can keep Sasuke sane and helped me out. Although, his speech to Sasuke about "killing your best friend to obtain these eyes" kind of blows that thought process away.

I decide to test something. "I understand what you are saying, Sasuke. However, don't you find it strange that the three chances Itachi had to kill me, he didn't? Being so close to you, you would think he would have."

Sasuke gives me a baffled look. "Find it strange? No, I don't find it strange, Hinata! The bastard killed my entire clan! You're not someone special that he is avoiding to kill! He's just trying to play mind games with me! Seriously, are you actually that stupid?!"

Okay, maybe I shouldn't have said that. I came across as a little insensitive. But, it is a logical thing to wonder about from my perspective! Itachi could've killed me any of those times to keep up his bad guy facade for Sasuke. Killing me would've spiraled Sasuke down an even deeper path of revenge and aim for anything to get stronger.

I avert my eye downwards. "Okay, maybe that was a dumb question to ask. But, I just hate when you get like this. I hate what Itachi has done to you." I look up to gaze into his eyes. "I'm like you. I want to protect you and make everything better. I don't like when you push those who care about you away and start to think about power and revenge! And, I know things like losing to that woman the other night triggers those thoughts. If you want to seek out those things… let somebody in. Let me in. I know this is something you said you have to do alone, but I don't believe that. I told you before that I would help you get strong. I would help you get powerful enough so you can finally face off with Itachi one of these days. But, pushing everyone away and going off alone isn't the right path to choose."

Sasuke grits his teeth. "Hinata-"

"I already know what you are going to say, Sasuke," I cut in. "I always listen to you so it is your turn to listen to me. You might not realize it at times, but you have people that care for you. Me, Naruto, Kakashi-sensei, Ino, and Sakura… and I know you act like you don't care because you don't want us to get involved with your mess. But, we don't see it as a mess. I don't see it as a mess. I see it as a hurdle that you need to get over with the help and support of your friends. If not all of them, then at least Naruto and I. I over anybody else know what you've been through with Itachi because I experienced myself. I know I didn't experience the same pain or feelings as you, but I get it, Sasuke. I really do. And, Naruto. He's alone just like you. He has nobody and that's one of the reasons why the two of you share such a strong bond. You have people who love you, Sasuke. Drop that guard and let us in."

Sasuke spins around to stare back out the window. I take this moment to get up, stand by his side, and place a hand onto his shoulder. "You don't have to agree with me. You don't even have to listen anything I just said. I just wanted you to know that you have other options and people who will always be there for you, Sasuke."

Then, I turn around to walk out of the room, leaving him to his thoughts.

* * *

"You know what I just thought of?" Sakura says to me as we watch Michi train from our perch on a tree.

"What?"

"If that guy is an Uzumaki, maybe Naruto can finally have a family," Sakura reveals to me. "I mean, I know it wouldn't be in the traditional sense. But, it is someone with the same last name as him. Someone that can teach him about his clan and heritage."

Yes! Sakura is onto something. If Kazyou is able, or chooses, to come back to Konoha with us, we will totally have to introduce Naruto to him. He would be so excited and it would be so great for the two of them! Naruto can help Kazyou adjust to life in Konoha, and life in the present in general, while Kazyou tells him about the Uzumaki clan. Maybe he can even teach Naruto some fūinjutsu!

Okay, I think that's pushing it a little.

"I understand what you mean, but Naruto does have a family whether Kazyou is in his life or not," I remind Sakura. "But, I think it would be great if Kazyou would meet Naruto. That is if he can handle the boy."

Sakura giggles. "Yeah. Naruto is really obnoxious while Kazyou seems very calm and gentle. But, Kazyou can't meet Naruto if he is locked up. What do you think will happen to him?"

"He should be seen as innocent and be set free, but I think nothing will happen until we get back to Konoha," I reply. "We have more of the means to probe his mind to see if he is actually speaking the truth or not, even though we believe him."

Sakura shudders. "Probe his mind? Ugh. I don't like the way you worded that. I hope he doesn't get hurt if they do something like that."

I shake my head. "I don't mean with actual tools and such. They will probably use a jutsu that is similar to Ino's Mind Transfer Jutsu."

Sakura's face lights up. "Oh, yeah! That makes more sense. Ino's father works with the Torture and Interrogation facility so maybe he'll be the one with Kazyou."

This time, I shudder.

I never want to end up there and have my mind inspected.

"So, did everything go alright between you and Sasuke?" Sakura asks, changing the topic. "I was waiting for you to bring it up, but you've been here for an hour now and haven't said anything about it."

I sigh. "To be honest, I really don't know. I did most of the talking, he did most of the listening, he turned his back on me, and I left. So, pretty much it ended up like a typical conversation with Sasuke."

Sakura tilts her head. "I wouldn't say like a typical conversation with him. I know how the two of you usually interact with one another so something must be really bothering Sasuke to make him act this cold towards you." She hesitates. "It… it has something to do with his brother, right?"

I shrug. "He's one reason. But, I'm sure there are other factors."

Sakura nods. "I understand. You don't have to tell me what the two of you talked about. I'm just worried about Sasuke and want him to know that he has us to lean on."

I dramatically groan. "Good luck with that! I've been trying to get him to realize that for years."

Sakura brings her knees up to her chest and wraps her arms around her legs. "You know, I used to be really jealous of your and Sasuke's relationship. I would always wonder what made you so special? What made him want to pay attention to you and shun me? Over time, I realize that maybe I have nothing to be jealous of. Don't get me wrong, I am sure Sasuke is a wonderful friend to you and I admit I still crush on him. But, it sounds like it takes a special somebody to handle someone like him and I'm really glad he has someone like you in his life. And, I know he's glad as well, but will just never admit it outloud."

"Thank you, Sakura," I say to her. "And, yes. You have to have some tough skin and be able to match his mood swings right back at him when he's having one of them. It is like wrangling with a bull sometimes."

Sakura chuckles. "Yeah, I'm starting to realize that maybe those mood swings aren't as cool as I used to think they were."

I arch an eyebrow. "That's something I never understood about you, Ino, and just about every other girl in our class back at the Academy."

Sakura's cheeks flush red. "When a guy is as good looking as Sasuke, you tend to overlook his flaws or try to make excuses for them."

I frown. "Well, I really hope you change that mindset soon because that isn't very healthy when it comes to an actual relationship. Looks aren't everything."

Sakura slightly widens her eyes and I appear to have just shattered her world. "I know that. But, they are a bonus."

I give Sakura a hard look. "There is nothing wrong with falling for an attractive person, but it is better to get to know them first before falling all over them. What if they are a jerk? A bad boy may be fun to have as a fling, but not as an actual relationship. I know we are still a little young to maybe think about things like serious relationships, but it is just something to always keep in mind. Flings and crushes are fun, but you better be mature enough when you start to settle down or you'll just end up hurt."

Sakura blinks. "You sound like my mom. Sometimes, you give such great and wise advice that I forget we are the same age."

I wince. "Ouch. You just compared me to your mother. That means you aren't going to consider my advice, huh?"

Sakura waves her hands. "What? No! I never said that! I was just pointing out an observation of mine, that's all!" She looks away. "I mean, it is good advice and I will always remember it. I don't see anythingwrong with what you just said."

Hmm, I hope I just officially ended Sakura's fangirl tendencies.

* * *

The rest of the day is pretty uneventful. After Sakura trained with Michi, we went to relax in the hot springs, and then we spent sometime getting hot chocolate and window shopping. I didn't see Sasuke for the rest of the day once Sakura and I headed back to the hotel. Since we couldn't sleep, Sakura spent the night reading and I decided to do the same with a book that I brought.

The next morning as Sakura and I are making ourselves presentable for the day, there is a knock on our door. Since Sakura is in the shower, I quickly pull on some clothes and walk over to open the door.

I scrunch up my face in confusion. "Kō? What are you doing here?"

Kō proceeds to bow, but stops midway after checking me out up and down. "Hinata-sama! What in the world happened to you?"

"I asked you a question first," I tease and Kō gives me a flustered look. "Okay, okay. I just got wounded in a battle. But, I'm fine."

Kō gives me sigh of relief. "That's good to hear. So, it appears that our assistance wasn't needed after all."

I arch an eyebrow. "Our assistance? Who else is with you?"

"Hizashi-san and I were ordered by Tsunade-sama to come to Yugakure to assist you three in a potential battle," Kō explains. "She informed us on what was going on and told us that the enemy could basically only be spotted with the Byakugan."

I tilt my head. "Well, dang. You took your time getting here then. We beat that woman two days ago."

Kō gives me another flustered look. "Please, Hinata-sama. We came as quick as we could on such short notice."

I wave my hand. "I'm just giving you a hard time. But, where is Hizashi?"

"He is talking to your client down in the village," Kō replies. "Your client was the one that sent the messenger hawk to explain what you were up to. I just find it odd that you went ahead and fought the enemy without waiting for permission."

I shrug. "I mean, I already knew Norio was going to inform Tsunade-sama. But, I had told him I was going to proceed with fighting the enemy anyways because I was pretty sure I wasn't going against anything. Although, a positive side to waiting would've meant more allies on our side during our battles."

Kō raises his eyebrows. "Battles? Did you fight more than one enemy?"

I nod causally. "Yes. First we fought the woman and then we defeated a god."

Kō sighs. "Hinata-sama, please be serious."

I widen my eyes. "I am being serious!"

"Hinata? Who are you talking to?" I hear Sakura ask from behind me as she emerges out of the bathroom.

I spin around. "Sakura, this is my bodyguard and caretaker, Kō. Kō, this is my teammate, Sakura."

Sakura pauses and then quickly bow. "Oh! Uh, it is very nice to meet you."

Kō bows back. "It is a pleasure to meet a friend of Hinata-sama's."

Sakura arches an eyebrow. "Hinata-sama?"

I send Sakura a quick look. "Sakura, didn't we fight a god?"

Sakura sends me a strange look back. "In a sense, yes."

I turn back to Kō. "See! There's my witness."

Kō just stares at me and then rubs his face. "Anyways, your client wanted me to retrieve the two of you and your other squad member, Uchiha Sasuke. Discussion of what is going to happened to the captive is going to occur."

Shit, already?

I switched out of my playful mode and into a more serious one. "Okay. We will be ready in ten minutes stops. You can head back downstairs if you like and we will get Sasuke for you."

Kō bows. "Yes, Hinata-sama."

He turns around and leaves as I close the door behind him.

I turn back around and find Sakura just looking at me.

"What?"

She blinks. "Oh, nothing. I was just kind of amazed that he is so formal towards you. Is he like a servant?"

I shake my head. "Not really. My family dynamics are very hard to explain. If you're really interested, I can sit down with you one day and give you a lesson."

Sakura sweatdrops. "N-no. That's not necessary."

After quickly getting ready, Sakura and I leave our room and head across the hall to knock on Sasuke's door. After a couple of minutes of no answer, I decide to break all codes of privacy and take a quick peek into his room with my Byakugan.

"Ugh. He's not even in here!" I complain.

Sakura frowns. "I wonder where he could be? We really need him right now."

I expand my vision to its full potential to see if he could be anywhere nearby, but he isn't.

I deactive my Byakugan. "He is not within my range. He's probably brooding or training in the forest somewhere."

"Should we go find him?" Sakura questions.

"No. We don't have time if we are being waited on," I answer. "We can just tell him everything when we see him again."

Sakura doesn't look very pleased. "Well, alright."

We head down to the hotel lobby to meet up with Kō and we all leave together. We eventually end up at Hiroki's building and go right up to his office after getting permission from the secretary.

"Where's Sasuke?" Norio asks as the three of us enter the room and take a sit in front of Hiroki's desk.

I shrug. "We don't know. I hope his presence isn't needed to proceed with the meeting."

Norio runs a hand through his hair. "I suppose not. We can just let him in on everything later."

I turn my head to look over at Hizashi and we both greet each other by nodding.

Hiroki clasps his hands together to get everyone's attention. "The meeting will now begin. Norio and his team spent all day and night transcribing every single word that was recorded yesterday during an interrogation with the captive, Uzumaki Kazyou. So far everyone in the room, minus the two newcomers, has listened to the captive's interrogation at least once. After much deliberating, I have decided that Uzumaki Kazyou be transferred over to the hands of Konohagakure for further interrogation. A request has been sent out to the Hokage and we are still awaiting for a response. If approved, the captive will travel back with the five Konoha Shinobi and be turned over into custody. From there, Konohagakure will be solely in charge and responsible for Uzumaki Kazyou."

So, he isn't being seen as neither guilty or innocent. I guess that's a good thing for now. At least he'll be traveling back to Konoha with us. There is no reason that Tsunade will turn away Kazyou.

I raise my hand. "I do not know if you were informed of this, but my teammates and I ingested a soldier pill. It is a pill made for Shinobi to fight for three days and three nights. We are on our last day before the pills wear off and our body crashes. Because of this, we will be unconscious for a number of days, delaying our travel back to Konoha."

Hiroki nods. "Yes. Norio has already told me, but thank you. The delay will not effect anything at all since your expected stay was at least a month and it has been less than two weeks."

Heh. We're impressive.

Norio leans forward in his seat. "Who will watch over the hideout when the pill wears off? Hinata's Shadow Clones will dissipate. I know that no one has been near the hideout since it has been investigated, but it is best to remain guarded."

Hiroki rubs his chin. "I suppose we could send out a couple of our men…"

Kō stands up. "Hizashi and I can man post of the hideout if that is okay with you, sir."

Hizashi flickers his eyes over towards Kō, but doesn't say anything and I mentally roll my eyes.

Kō is a nice person, but he does take advantage of the whole "I'm from the Main House and I'm the Head's right hand man so I have say over a Branch Member" at times.

Hiroki raises his eyebrows. "I would appreciate that much so. Thank you for volunteering."

Kō bows. "It is our pleasure."

"Yes. Our pleasure," Hizashi chimes in as Kō sits down.

"Speaking of the hideout, what is going to happen to it once we head back to Konoha?" Sakura questions.

"We are going to seal it up and plant greenery over the entrance so it can remain hidden," Hiroki replies. "From my knowledge, I don't think anymore Jashinists are wondering around. If so, they are just going to kill themselves during their ritual."

Damn. I really would've killed to see Hidan kill himself now.

The meeting lasts for a few more minutes and then we are all dismissed.

"I think we should go search for Sasuke," Sakura says to me as we walk out of the building.

I shake my head. "You can, but I'm not. I've already tried talking to him. He just needs his alone time right now."

Sakura gives me a conflicted look. "But, what if he doesn't come back by the time the pill wears off?"

I wave my hand. "Sasuke isn't reckless. He wouldn't stay away for too long knowing his body could become defenseless soon. He knows when to come back."

Sakura bites her lip. "Well, okay…"

I gently nudge her shoulder. "Hey, stop worrying about him and let's enjoy our day before we go into a coma. I thinking about having brunch with Kō and my uncle. Do you wanna join us?"

Sakura hesitates for a second and then nods. "Sure."

* * *

After brunch, Sakura and I head back to the hotel. Kō and Hizashi decided to go ahead and start their guarding shifts early so I can dissipate my Shadow Clones and start preparing to pass out for a few days. We went back to the hotel so we can start packing our things because Kō mentioned to me that we'll probably be transferred over to the hospital just to be watched over. So, it will just be less of a hassle if we are already have our stuff when we wake up so we can hurry back to Konoha. When we make it to the second floor of the hotel, I quickly knock on Sasuke's door, just to see if he happened to come back while we are gone, and the door surprisingly opens.

"Hmm?" Sasuke grunts as a greeting.

I cross my arms. "Where have you been? You missed an important meeting with Hiroki about Kazyou."

"I was training in the forest," Sasuke replies in a deadpanned voice.

I don't believe him, but I'm not in the mood to call him out right now.

I drop my arms. "Well, long story short, Kazyou hasn't been deemed either guilty or innocent. However, he is traveling back to Konoha with us so the village can handle him. While you were gone, my bodyguard and uncle also showed up in response to Norio's message he sent Tsunade so they'll be traveling back with us."

"Okay," Sasuke simply says.

My eyebrows twitches in annoyance. "But, I recommend that you go ahead and pack up your things since the pill will be wearing off in less than 24 hours. Once we wake up, everyone will be ready to leave."

Sasuke nods. "I will get onto that. Thanks."

I blink in surprise at his 'thanks'. "Oh, um. You're welcome."

Sasuke takes a step back and closes the door.

Sakura exchanges glances with me and whispers, "Well, at least he's in a better mood today."

I pinch my nose and sigh.

I'm just ready to get back to Konoha.

* * *

The three of us are out for the next three days. The pill wore off sometime in the late night and everything happened so fast. I was lying in the bed in the hotel room when I suddenly felt weak and drained. I couldn't even lift a finger so I tried to open my mouth to speak to Sakura, but I was even too tired to do that. Then, my eyelids felt very heavy, proceeded to shut on their own, and I was out like a light. After waking up in the hospital, all three of us felt refreshed and normal again so we grabbed our things and met up with the others at the front gate a little after lunchtime.

"I can't believe you already have to leave," Michi whines to Sakura. She leaps forward to hug the pinkette. "Thanks for training me! I promise to keep it up and not let you down!"

Sakura smiles and pats the little girl's head. "You're welcome, Michi. I can't wait to see how much you are going to improve the next time we meet."

Michi excitedly nods. "Yeah!"

Norio adjusts his glasses. "I know I've already said this many times, but thank you three so much for getting rid of the terror that was lurking around Yugakure. I can leave Michi by herself once again knowing that things are safer." He flickers his eyes over towards Kazyou, who is currently handcuffed and standing by Kō's and Hizashi's side, and back towards us. "I hope everything goes well back in Konoha."

After saying all of our pleasantries and goodbyes, the six of us finally start our trek back to Konoha.

And, I'm leaving with a huge grin on my knowing because I have just successfully completed my first mission as a Chunin and as a leader.

Now, let's just hope things don't go downhill from here.

The journey back to Konoha was very peaceful and easy. Since we were all ready to get back home, nobody really spoke to each other and we just focused on getting back as quickly as we could. A couple of times when we stopped for a short break, I tried to communicate with Kazyou to see how he was doing, but Kō kept getting in my way. After trying for a third time, he pulled me aside and explained that I really shouldn't be conversing with the captive until he has been dealt with and for my own safety. I didn't protest because I believe Kō or Hizashi hadn't read Norio's reports on Kazyou interrogation, if they were even allowed to. As soon as we made it back to Yugakure, two Anbus suddenly showed up, told us to report to the Hokage's office, took Kazyou off our hands, and then disappeared.

We obeyed the Anbus and now the five of us are standing in Tsunade's office. She speaks with Kō and Hizashi for a bit, thanking them for their services on such short notice, and then dismisses them. After they leave, Tsunade focuses her attention on us.

"So, it looks like your first mission as a squad leader was a success, Hinata," Tsunade says as she smiles at me. I go to smile back at her, but she quickly frowns. "However, some of your actions were questionable."

Wait, what?

I try not to show my annoyance. "With all due to respect, I-"

"But, you didn't go against the mission or what I said so there is no problem," Tsunade continues like I hadn't spoke. "Sometimes, you have to take risks and make hasty decisions as a leader. Just remember to always try and think things thoroughly before going through with them."

Whew. Okay, good. She's not angry with me.

I nod. "I understand."

The woman glances down at an opened file lying on her desk. "Now, you all know that this was originally a B-ranked mission. Due to certain unforeseen circumstances that took place during this mission, I have decided to bump it up to an A-rank mission. So, don't forget to label your reports as an A-ranked mission instead of B once you start on them."

Hey, that's two successful A-ranked missions under my belt now and I haven't been even out of the Academy for a year yet. That's pretty cool!

"Have you read the latest report yet that Norio wrote?" Sasuke asks Tsunade.

Tsunade closes the file and presses her fingers together. "I have and I already know what you are going to talk about, Sasuke, so let me stop you right there. What happened to Hinata happened months ago. Between then and now, you have already encountered Itachi and it didn't turn out so well for anyone. I understand your feeling and concerns about him and the situation, but nothing can be done about it now."

"Is anything even being done about him?" Sasuke questions, gritting his teeth to compose his anger.

"Of course," Tsunade replies cooly. "He is a highly dangerous rogue Shinobi. He will always be searched for."

"It has been almost five years. Why hasn't he been caught, then?"

Tsunade narrows her eyes. "S-ranked Shinobi like Itachi are very good at going into hiding once they are on the run and being hunted. To my knowledge, the most recent encounter with Itachi was the first time he had showed his face out in public without concealing it in some way. With what little information that was revealed, we have been attempting to use that as a lead and work from there. This isn't a very easy process, Sasuke."

Sasuke clenches his fists and looks down at the floor, not saying anymore.

Crap. I really hope he isn't thinking that he has to take matters into his own hands.

"What's going to happen to Kazyou?" I quickly ask Tsunade, trying to change the subject before anything escalates.

"I'm afraid I cannot discuss with you until everything has been said and cleared," Tsunade informs me.

"Are you at least allowed to tell us our thoughts and opinions regarding him and his story?" I press on.

Tsunade leans back in her chair and folds her arms. "I am to remain neutral. This is a very serious and delicate case that we have on our hands so I really cannot say much about it."

I back off. "Of course. My apologies."

Tsunade sits back up. "Well, I'm done with the three of you if you have nothing more to say. Hinata, congratulations once again and I would like to have those reports turned in within the next week. After you turn it in, then you'll receive your compensation."

The three of us thank her and we are dismissed from her office.

Well, that was a little tense. I didn't expect Tsunade to tell us much about what is going to happen to Kazyou. But, I was expecting just a tiny hint or so. I guess everything is confusing right now because this goes beyond Kazyou to an extent. We just learned that Kirigakure were the ones responsible for the destruction of the Uzumaki clan during the Second Shinobi World War yet nothing can really be done about it now since this happened decades ago. We are in a time of peace right now and starting a war with Kirigakure would be pointless since there is no proof that they actually did it. Getting into with them would just give the other village an excuse to fight another another world war may break out.

On top of that, Kazyou is an Uzumaki and most people probably thought Naruto was the last one alive. With Kazyou around, this could put Naruto in danger since some people might connect Kushina to him. Then, Kushina could be connected back to Minato if someone remembers the two of them being together and word could leak out of Naruto's true heritage as being the son of the Yellow Flash.

Now, that last theory is a long shot kind of thing, but it could happen.

"Well," Sakura says, breaking me out of my thoughts. "I don't know about the two of you, but I'm thinking heading home and collapsing on my bed for like a year or two."

I chuckle. "Yes. There's nothing like returning home and sleeping in your own bed."

Sakura smiles. "I agree! Well, I'll catch you guys later. I enjoyed going on this mission with the two of you!"

She goes on missions with me anyways so I know she's mostly saying that to Sasuke.

Sasuke just nods and says, "You, too."

I notice Sakura's face grows slightly red and she hurries off before it can develop even deeper.

I turn towards Sasuke. "I'm thinking about heading home, too, unless you want to do anything?"

Sasuke shakes his head. "Nah, I'm fine. I'll see you later."

"Oh, okay. Bye!" I say back as he starts to walk off.

He doesn't get to far before he pauses and turns his head back to look over his shoulder. "By the way, Hinata, thank you."

I tilt my head to the side. "Huh? For what?"

He doesn't elaborate and continues to walk off, leaving me a little clueless.

Later, I come to the conclusion he is thanking me for putting up with his shit these last few days.

 **Author's Note: This arc is officially over! I hoped you enjoyed this chapter!**


	39. Chapter 39: Blank Period

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Blank Period**

 **Chapter thirty-nine**

As soon as I give the signal to start the match, Hanabi dashes forward and throws a roundhouse kick to my side. I block her attack with my arm and she spins around to strike my shoulder. I smack her hand away and she retaliates by ducking to get me in the stomach. I take a step backwards and she dances towards me with a series of palm thrusts. I dodge them all and then I grab her by the wrist on the last strike. She tries to jerk away, but when that doesn't work she drops to the ground and swings her leg around to sweep me off of my feet. I don't let go of her and I jump into the air, bringing her with me. She take her free arm to hit me away, but I grab that wrist, too. I feel her body tense up and then she sends out a tiny chakra blast. Catching me off guard, I release her. We both land on the ground and she jumps a few spaces away from me, breathing heavily.

When the hell did she learn how to do that? Our father didn't teach me that until I was training for the Chunin Exams! Maybe I'm going a little too easy on her. I should stop playing defense and go on the offensive.

I charge after her and I see her eyes widen in surprise at my change of tactics. She prepares herself by getting into a defensive stance as I swoop in with a palm to the gut. In a flash, she bats my hand away and cartwheels out of the way. She goes to kick me from behind, but I twirl out of the way and push off the ground to get closer to her. I come after her with a barrage of palm strikes, but she blocks or evades all of them and then performs a backflip to get some distance from me. I don't allow her to have any as I continue to zoom closer to her and attack.

Well, I can truly say that Hanabi is a better fighter than I was at seven years old. All of her strikes have been precise and sharp and her movements have been light and graceful. While I'm better at fighting on the defensive, she appears to be good at equally doing both. However, she seems to be thinking too much about her next move and is making silly mistakes like leaving herself open or attacking me in the wrong place.

After a few more minutes of sparring, I decide to end the match by easily finding an opening and gently knocking her to the ground. She lands directly onto her bottom and goes to get back up, but I shake my head.

"We are done," I inform her.

Hanabi narrows her eyes. "Why? We barely even sparred."

I arch an eyebrow. "We've been going at it for almost fifteen minutes straight and your breathing very heavily. I know you are tired so you need to rest."

Hanabi gives me an annoyed look, but doesn't protest anymore as she spreads apart her arms and legs to stretch them out.

"I'm still overthinking and second guessing myself when I fight," she says. "I need to continue to work on that."

I nod in agreement. "Other than that, you are pretty amazing for your age, Hanabi. Natsu must be very strict on you."

Hanabi shakes her head. "She actually goes too easy on me. Even though I know he's your caretaker, I tried to get Kō to train me. He was a little more stricter, but not by much. I settled back with Natsu, but Otou-san trains me occasionally when he is free. I just don't understand why he can't train me more often since you are going on more missions now and he isn't working with you as much."

I shrug. "Maybe he sees that you don't need as harsh of a training regimen as I had at your age because of your superb skills. I would take it as a compliment."

"Well, I don't take it as a compliment," Hanabi mumbles. "I know that I'm good for my age. That's why I'm in a more advanced class at the Academy. But, I also want my training to be more advanced. I want to be trained by Otou-san and not be babied by Natsu."

I tilt my head to the side. "Let me ask you this, who taught you the Gentle Fist Art: One Blow Body?"

"Natsu."

I give her a reassuring smile. "Well, I didn't learn that until a couple of months ago so obviously she isn't babying you too much. You may be advanced, but you're still a child, Hanabi. She's going to take it easy on you because your body can only handle so much at your age."

Hanabi gets up and slides into a fighting stance. "I'm ready to spar again, Hinata-nee-san!"

I sigh. "You didn't listen to a word I just said, did you? Alright, let's begin."

After three more sparring sessions, I call it a day and we quickly wash up to head out for lunch. Hanabi insists on having a picnic since it isn't too chilly outside today. So, we pack up a few things and are on our way to the Training Grounds. My little sister doesn't really venture out here too often so she wants to do some exploring after we eat. I told her I do not mind as long as we don't bother anybody who could be training. After relaxing and eating at the edge of the Training Grounds, I put on the backpack we carried our food in and we go deeper into the forest.

"Woah! These trees are so tall," Hanabi points out in amazement.

"Don't walk with your head up like that," I scold. "You're going to trip and fall."

"I have my Byakugan activated," she informs me without skipping a beat.

"Tch. Smartypants."

"I can't wait until I'm a little older so I can come out here and train," Hanabi tells me.

"You don't have to be older to come out here and train. I trained out here sometimes when I was younger," I say to her. "But, it is the perfect place to do all types of training. There are rocky areas if you want to build up stamina and endurance and there's plenty of trees and small ponds to practice chakra control. There is also plenty of open areas for sparring or practicing ninjutsu."

"I want to check out the rocky areas. I would like to start building up more stamina so I can train longer at home without taking too many breaks."

I roll my eyes. "You really didn't listen to a word I said earlier."

We change courses and I start to lead her to her desired spots. After a few minutes of walking, Hanabi abruptly stops.

"We should probably take another path. Neji and his team are training just up ahead," she warns me.

I tense up and start pushing Hanabi by her shoulders. "Yes, yes. We should hurry along."

"Hey! Let go of me!"

I really don't want Lee to see me right now. He told me when I was in the hospital that he wanted to spar with me after I get out, but I haven't been around him since. I've been too busy with training and with my mission to Yugakure, but now that I'm back I still would like to avoid him. I know I said I would be his rival back then, but I was in the hospital. I was injured and tired. I didn't know what I was thinking.

"Agh!" Hanabi suddenly squeals.

"What?!"

"The man is-"

A blur of green appears out of nowhere and a man blocks our path.

"Ah, Hinata! I thought that was you!"

Huh? Who's Hinata? I'm not Hinata!

Guy glances down at Hanabi and flashes a grin at her, but she is staring too intenstly at his eyebrows to be polite and smile back.

"I assume this must be your little sister. You two enjoying a nice stroll through the forest? It is a beautiful day today!"

I remember my manners and nod back. "We are. I'm just showing Hanabi around the Training Grounds since she was curious about them."

"That's kind of you. You must be a great older sister, Hinata!" Guy says to me.

I awkwardly rub the back of my head. "Mmm, yes. But, we should really be on our way. We didn't mean to disturb your training and-"

"Guy-sensei! What on earth are you doing?" I hear Lee yell.

Crap!

I hear some leaves rustle and then he emerges out of the bushes. Lee notices me and gasps. "My Eternal Rival #3! How convenient that you are here! I was just thinking about you the other day and I realized that we are overdue for our sparring match!"

The one that you decided to have for us while I was unable to talk, right?

Guy places a hand on Lee's shoulder. "Now, Lee. Hinata is spending the day with her sister. Why don't you two spar another time?"

Lee finally notices Hanabi and bows. "My apologies! I did not see you there. You are right, Guy-sensei. We can just do it another time."

Hanabi smirks. "Actually, I wouldn't mind watching the two of you spar."

I give Hanabi a betrayed look. "Now, Hanabi. I can spar with Lee some other time. You really wanted to explore the Training Grounds."

Hanabi shrugs. "That can wait. Besides, you've already beaten his other two teammates. Wouldn't you like to fight this guy and have a clean sweep? I bet you easily could."

Shut the hell up, Hanabi! Ugh, she can be so arrogant.

I give Lee an apologetic look. "I'm sorry for my sister's rudeness! Heh heh. You know how children can be."

Guy chuckles. "There is nothing wrong with what she just said. She does have a point. You have beaten Tenten and Neji. Can you defeat Lee as well or can he break your streak?"

Lee pumps his fists into the air. "I would like to know the answer to that now! Your sister doesn't mind if we spar so what do you say, Hinata?"

I arch an eyebrow at Hanabi and she gives me an innocent smile. I sigh and then I give Lee a determined look. "I'm in."

"Whoohoo!" Lee cheers and then he runs off.

Hanabi blinks in confusion. "Where is he going?"

"He is heading back to Training Ground Ten. We've been training there all morning so we're just going to have their match there," Guy explains as we start to follow Lee.

We come to a clearing and I see Lee is already doing pushups, while Tenten is spinning a kunai around her finger and Neji is leaning against a tree. As we got closer to them, Neji opens his eyes and his gaze flickers them to me.

"I tried not to say anything, but Guy sensed you," Neji tells me.

"You say that like it is a bad thing," Hanabi says to Neji.

Oh, just wait and see, Hanabi. They'll start overwhelming you sooner or later.

Lee springs up from the ground and gives me a thumbs up. "Are you ready, Hinata?"

No, I'm not ready. I'm not as fast as Lee and he is about to kick my ass with his speed alone.

I nod. "I am."

"Lee, what are you up to?" Tenten wonders as she continues to spin her her kunai.

"Hinata has agreed to spar with me!"

Tenten squints her eyes. "Did she really agree?"

I hold up my hands. "Ha, I really did!"

Tenten smirks. "Well, good luck, Eternal Rival #3."

I give her a mock annoyed look. "You know, I'm still bitter that I'm not Eternal Rival #1 or #2."

Tenten points at Neji with her thumb. "Blame him."

Hanabi looks up at Neji. "Are you #1 or #2?"

Neji crosses his arms and sticks his nose up. "Of course I'm #1."

Tenten sweatdrops. "A little proud, aren't you?"

Lee and I step a few paces away from the group to prepare ourselves for our match. Guy stands in the middle of us to act as the meditator. He raises his right arm and nods at the both of us. We nod back and we both slip into our fighting stances. Then, Guy waves his hand down.

"Begin!" Guy shouts.

I barely have time to activate my Byakugan before Lee basically disappears and then reappears by my side to throw a kick. I quickly lift up my arm to block the kick and I swear my bones rattle from the powerful force of the impact. Lee goes to hit me with his other leg, but I block that one as well. He bends backwards and places both hands on the ground to balance himself as he thrusts both of his legs towards me. I cross my arms out to protect myself and then I go to grab his legs, but he quickly finishes his backbend up with a backflip to prevent me from doing so. Lee charges in this time with a series of punches and I bat them all away before I drop to the ground and use the Substitution Jutsu to gain some distance from him.

Fuck, Lee is fast! I'm not going to be able to realitate at all if he keeps going like this! I'm going to need all of my chakra if I want to beat him so using Shadow Clones for the moment is out of the question.

I jump out from the tree near Lee that I am hiding behind and thrust out my palms to shoot out two chakra blades. Lee spins around in time to notice them coming and leaps up to evade them. I manipulate the blades and they follow him upwards. They start to wrap themselves around his ankles, but he slips out of them before they could get any tighter. He drops to the ground and zooms over towards me. I break my connection with the chakra blades and start to move my hands around to create a chakra barrier. He zips over to the side, but quickly backs off when he realizes that my Protective Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms gives me 360 degree protection just like the Rotation does for Neji. I push my chakra barrier outwards to hit Lee and then I start to run along behind it as it continues forward. Lee leaps into the air once more to avoid the attack and I jump up there with him. I bring my palm out to strike his arm and then I quickly retreat back to the ground before he can hit me back. I hop a few paces back as Lee lands on the ground and he grabs his arm.

"Ngh, I can barely move it," Lee says. "Not bad, Hinata. I'm used to fighting Neji, and I know you fought somewhat differently than he does, but your fighting style is more on the defensive."

That's because you're too fast for me to go fully on the offensive!

"Now that I have felt you out I probably should fight more seriously, though."

Wait, what?

I don't even have time to blink before Lee crosses the field and is already in my face. I manage to barely block a punch to my face. Then, he tricks me by kicking me first so I can block that and then quickly punches me in the stomach with his bad arm. I widen my eyes in shock and I feel the air get knocked out of me. But, I don't remain still like that. I try to recover and ignore the pain as I grab Lee's arm to jerk him closer towards me. When our bodies touch, I exert out a small chakra blast infused with an extra dose of Lightning Release to send him flying. He collides with the ground and tries to stand up, but the electricity running through his body makes it difficult for him to.

There! That should slow him down.

"Woah! When did you learn how to do that, nee-san?" Hanabi calls out.

I cringe.

Shit! This was suppose to be a secret from Hanabi and the rest of the clan until I became better with the Lightning Release. I'll have to tell her to not tell anyone later. Neji is included, despite being so close, but Hanabi is more likely to run her mouth about what she just saw versus Neji. So, I'm not as worried about him knowing over her.

"Eh, we can talk about this later!" I say back and then I focus on the battle again.

While Lee struggles to stand up, I take this chance to hurry over towards him to prevent him from moving for good. I get into position and bring out my arms.

"Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!"

I leap towards him.

"Two pa-"

"Leaf Whirlwind!"

Lee brings his left around and knocks me off of my feet with a swift rotating kick. While I am in mid-air, Lee grabs both of my wrists and slings me into a tree. I tumble to the ground and then Lee drop down to kick me aside and I slam into another tree. At that point, the electricity gets too much for Lee again and he falls back down. Pain surges up and down my back and I arch it as I gasp for air.

Fuck, damn! That hurt! Lee is strong as hell!

I weave some handsigns and use the Substitution Jutsu once more to get away and hide. I appear behind another tree and I rest against it for a second while I rack my brain for an idea.

I can't lose to Lee in front of my sister! She looks up to me and I don't want to look stupid and weak in front of her! Plus, I need to defeat Lee so I can say I've performed a clean sweep on Team Guy!

I guess it is time to bring out the Shadow Clones!

I conjure up two Shadow Clones and send one of them out to act as me for Lee to fight while the other Shadow Clone and I climb up the tree and ambush him from above. As we climb the tree and creep our way slowly towards Lee, I watch with my Byakugan as my Shadow Clone tries her best to distract Lee without getting hit. It looks like Lee's body has recovered a bit as he is able to move around now without struggling and falling, but he is still sluggish. As my Shadow Clone and I get right above Lee, he suddenly makes contact with my Shadow Clone and she poofs away in smoke. Lee blinks in confusion for a second and I take the opportunity to throw down two smoke bombs. They hit the ground and create a smokescreen. I recall upon the Shadow Clone that just dissipated and the three of us land silently onto the ground.

My Shadow Clones charge after Lee, but he leaps into the air to get out of the smokescreen so he can see. Already anticipating he would do that, I jump into the air before he is able to jump out of the smoke and kick him back down. As he slams into the ground, my Shadow Clones get in between Lee and start waving their hands around to form a chakra barrier so it will be harder for him to escape. At this point, the smoke is starting to clear up and I hurry over to stand in front of Lee and get into my Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms position.

"You might as well go ahead and admit defeat, Lee," I say to him. "You're surrounded. Or, like Neji says, you're within my range."

Okay, I know that I just said he is surrounded, but I bet Lee could somehow get out of this if this was a real life or death battle. He still has a couple of other dangerous moves, something like Dancing Leaf Shadow, and then his Eight Inner Gates.

Lee looks around and then sighs. "It appears that you are right. I am glad I got to experience what you are capable of. Let us get stronger and fight again soon!"

I notice he didn't say the word "spar". Am I overthinking things or is he wanting to go all out next time?

I stare him down for a second, making sure he isn't trying to trick me and that this match is really over, and then I get rid of my clones so I can help him up. He brushes himself off, sticks his thumb out towards me, and grins, teeth gleaming.

"Good job, Hinata!"

I give him an awkward smile. "Heh, thank you."

Even though this match is over, I don't feel like I truly won. I was just able to trap Lee. With Tenten and Neji, I outsmarted and beat the crap out of them to win. My plan was good enough to ambush Lee, but I know he could've gotten out of my trap if he was going all out. I guess what I am saying is this is actually pumping me up to get stronger so I can truly beat Lee one day.

I wasn't serious into this whole rival thing earlier, but maybe I will be now!

Lee and I head back over to Guy and the others. Guy walks over to Lee and places his hands on his student's shoulders.

"You did very well, Lee," Guy tells him. "I'm proud of you."

Tears start to stream down Lee's face. "Oh, thank you, Guy-sensei!"

Tears start to stream down Guy's face. "Anytime, Lee!"

Hanabi inches over towards me and tugs on my shirt. "Let's get out of here while they're distracted."

I swat her hand away. "No way. This is your fault. You insisted on me sparring so we're staying until the end."

"But, why are they… acting like that?" Hanabi whispers.

"I always wonder that myself and I'm on their team," Tenten answers for me.

Hanabi and I turn around to see Tenten and Neji standing behind us.

"I didn't realize you followed me," Hanabi says.

"If you were going to sneak off, so were we," Tenten retorts back.

After Lee's and Guy's emotional moment is over, Guy walks over to me and I instinctively take a step back, hoping he wouldn't try to cry with me. Tenten about falls over from laughing because of my little action.

"Congratulations, Hinata," Guy says to me. "You had Lee surrounded and for that you have beaten him. It looks like you have made a clean sweep when it comes to my team. It looks like we are just going to have to train harder from now on! And, you, Hinata! You should make it your personal goal to try and make a clean sweep on Teams Seven and Eight!"

Flames burst into Lee's eyes. "Oh, yes! That would be a great goal to try and achieve, Hinata! Imagine if you can do that! I would surely have to bump you up to Eternal Rival #1 then!"

Guy looks over at Neji. "How would that make you feel if that happened?"

Neji narrows his eyes. "Don't drag me into this nonsense."

Guy crosses his arms. "Well, Hinata. If you truly want to say you've defeated Team Guy, you have to take me on, now."

I freeze on the spot. "T-take you on?"

Tenten shakes her head. "R.I.P, Hinata."

I shoot her a dirty look. "W-what are you trying to say?!"

Damn! Stop stuttering! I really sound like the original Hinata right now!

Guy chuckles. "Ha ha! I'm just joking with you!" I sweatdrop in response as he clears his throat. "In all seriousness, though, you did a really great job. Would you mind if I give you some pointers? I do so with my students after they spar with one another."

"No, I do not mind," I inform him.

Guy nods. "Excellent! I don't know if you've been told this before or not, but I think you should fight more offensively. You are a Hyūga and you have an amazing fighting style. I know you are just as talented as Neji with the Gentle Fist; I watched you fight him during the Chunin Exams. I would just like to see you show those skills off more often and be more confident in your offensive skills like you are with your defensive skills."

Yes, yes. I have been told many times that I should fight more offensively. Fighting defensively along with some offensive tactics here and there has always worked for me so why change things up? If I need to fight more offensively than Lee should fight more defensively. Lee is not the person to go solely offensive on. Gaara has his sand shield and it still was barely enough to protect himself from Lee's can of whoop ass. I'm not bound to be on the receiving end of that.

But, I know that I need to work on my offensive skills and probably the two best people to spar with at my level is Neji and Shikamaru. Neji because we fight the same fighting style and Shikamaru because he fights more on the defense like me so I can just go on the offense with him without worrying about getting hit as much.

I bow politely. "Thank you for your advice. I will work more on my offensive skills."

Guy sticks his thumb out. "That's the spirit!"

I open my mouth to announce Hanabi and I should probably get going and to thank Lee for sparring with me when an Anbu Black Op suddenly appears by my side. The sudden appearance causes everyone to grow tense and Neji instinctively takes a step in front of Hanabi and I while Guy's demeanor grows more serious.

"Yes? Is there something wrong?" Guy addresses the Anbu.

The Anbu looks over at me. "Hokage-sama is requesting to see you, Hyūga Hinata."

I relax a little when the Anbu says that. "Okay. Thank you for informing me. I will come by her office momentarily."

The Anbu nods in response and poofs away. When they do, I grab my chest and take a deep breathe.

I swear, these Anbu Black Ops are going to give someone a heart attack one day for appearing out of nowhere like that. If I am just being summoned, why can't they just make their presence known in a more normal way? Why be all mysterious and dramatic?

"Well, it looks like we have to cut our time together short," I say to Team Guy. I bow towards Lee. "Thank you for sparring with me. I truly enjoyed it! I can't wait until we do it again."

Lee bows back. "No, thank you for accepting my invite! It will always be a pleasure!"

Hanabi and I say our good-byes and we hurry out of the Training Grounds.

"What does Hokage-sama want with you?" Hanabi asks as we dash through the forest.

Huh. Hanabi's pretty good at keeping up with me.

"I really don't know," I reply back.

Hanabi knits her eyebrows together. "Well, I hope you're not going on another mission. I really want to spend the day with you."

"If I am being sent out on a mission, I can't really deny it just to spend the day with you," I tell her.

Hanabi sighs. "I know that. I'm just saying I hope it isn't. But, should I go with you?"

I shake my head. "No, you should just head on home once we get back to the village. I will swing by later and tell you what is going on."

Hanabi nods in understanding and we split up once we arrive back to the village. I make my way to Tsunade's office and knock on her door.

"Come in!" Tsunade calls out from the other side.

I walk into the room as Shizune closes the door behind me and I walk over to stand in front of Tsunade's desk.

"Good afternoon, Hinata," Tsunade greets me with a smile. "I apologize for calling you in on your day off."

I bow politely. "It is not a problem. I wasn't doing anything too important."

Tsunade nods. "Good. We have some things to discuss. First off, Kazyou has been found innocent."

Wow, that was quick! I figured it would take awhile to clear his name since we just got back three days ago.

I clasp my hands together. "Oh, that's great! I hoped that he would be. Where is he now?"

"I cannot disclose that to you," Tsunade replies. "Kazyou wants to be alone for awhile until he can gather his thoughts. He still needs time to come terms with the fact he's living in a different era."

I drop my hands. "Yes, that is understandable. I cannot imagine how he feels."

Tsunade gives out a dry laugh. "You can really say no one can."

"I know somebody who can cheer almost anybody up when Kazyou decides to not be left alone anymore," I say to Tsunade. "Naruto!"

Tsunade raises her eyebrows. "Ah, I see where you're getting at now. You want the two of them to meet because they have the same last name. I don't see a problem with that, but I should let you know they aren't from the same clan."

I blink in confusion. "Huh?"

"When Naruto was born, he was given the last name Uzumaki in honor of the fallen clan that Konoha was once close with," Tsunade explains. "Most orphans do not even get a last name, so I suppose Naruto was at least given one so he could have some identity not related to that damn Kyūbi."

Okay, is she lying to me or does she really not know who Naruto's parents really are? She wasn't in the village much after her lover died so that would make sense if she didn't know his true backstory. However, she is the Hokage. I would think the Third Hokage would've informed her about that.

Well, I will play along for now. But, I'm still going to introduce Kazyou and Naruto to each other. We don't have to tell Kazyou about Naruto's backstory.

I give her a disappointed look. "That's a shame. I was really excited for Naruto."

Tsunade gives me a sympathetic glance. "You're a good friend for caring for him like that, Hinata."

I give her a small smile. "Thank you."

"But, I didn't summon you here to just talk about Kazyou," Tsunade informs me. "That was just some news that I figured I share with you while you were here. The real reason you are here is because I need you to lead another mission. I know that you just got back from leading one, but this one calls for your skills and those of Team Eight."

Great. I have to team up with those guys? Kiba's probably not even going to listen to me, Choji will want to take frequent breaks to eat, and Shino doesn't bother me but his bugs do.

"Are we just waiting for them to come before you tell me the details of this mission?" I ask.

Tsunade nods. "Yes. They should be here any time now."

As if on cue, there is a series of knocks on the door and then Kiba bursts in without permission from Tsunade. Akamaru happily trots behind his master followed by Shino.

"I apologize," Shino says to Tsunade. "Kiba is… rather eager. Why? Because he believes he's about to go on a mission because you summoned us here."

"I can see that," Tsunade replies, looking highly irritated.

Kiba appears oblivious. "Alright! We're here so what's up?"

I sweatdrop. "I don't think you should speak to Tsunade-sama so casually, Kiba."

Kiba turns his head in my direction. "Oh, Hinata! You were called up here, too?"

"No, I just snuck up here but you just announced my presence so thanks," I tease, giving him a mock look of annoyance.

Kiba squints at me. "Whatever."

"Anyways!" Tsunade says loudly, her eyebrows twitching. "I called the three of you here because I am sending you off on a search and rescue mission. Choji would typically come along since he is apart of Team Eight, but he is currently busy partaking in some family affairs."

Awh, Choji's not coming? I haven't been on a mission with Team Eight before so it would've been cool to have all the members present. Well, if he isn't coming, maybe this is my chance to finally ask what role does Choji play in Team Eight.

Kiba bumps his fists together. "A search and rescue mission? Our specialty! What are the details?"

Tsunade shuffles some papers around and then picks one up to show us. "Your mission is to find this girl, Renzo Hanako. She was reported missing early this morning by her father, Renzo Oshiro, when she didn't come home. Oshiro is the leader of Iwazaki, a town that lies on the coast in the southwest. He suspects that she has been kidnapped."

There is a picture of the girl on the paper Tsunade is holding. She is a sixteen year old girl with shoulder length black hair, round dark eyes, and average looking facial features.

This girl is very plain looking.

"This could be a possible hostage situation where the girl is being held at ransom since her father is a town leader," Shino says.

Kiba shrugs. "Ah, it isn't the same as rescuing a princess in distress. But, she is the leader's daughter so I guess it is the same."

Tsunade shakes her head. "There were no proof that she was kidnapped for ransom. However, there has been a number of poor, orphaned or homeless girls and other young women being reported as missing lately. They have just simply vanished without a trace. Besides Hanako, another girl of her age named Tani was reported missing this morning. I do not have a photo of her, but she is the same age as Hanako and they were close friends. The thing is Tani is homeless and Hanako was last seen hanging out with her. It is possible Tani and Hanako were both captured with the kidnappers thinking that Hanako was of the same status as Tani."

"Being the leader's daughter, wouldn't people know who she is?" I ask.

I just imagine her looking clean and wearing nice clothes while Tani looks the complete opposite.

"One might think that, but you have to remember that this town is located on the coast," Tsunade replies. "It is a major port town so boats are coming in and out all the time. This gives the enemy a perfect chance to sail in, take some captives, and quickly sail out without anyone noticing until it is too late."

Kiba crosses his arms. "It appears to be some sort of pattern going on. Why would anyone want to kidnap a homeless chick anyways?"

Tsunade starts to tick off answers with her fingers. "Money, trade, slavery, marriage, etc. But, you are right, Kiba. There is a pattern going on. These people are carefully selecting these type of women for a reason and I believe I know why. As an example, no one is going to notice a homeless woman has gone missing until some townspeople realize they haven't seen her around in awhile. But, they're not going to report it because they don't know the woman and many things could've happened to her. She could've left town or gotten sick and died. However, when the same gender of the same status starts to go missing over and over again, then it will finally get reported and investigated. But, by that point, it is too late. Those women are long gone. Seeing this, the enemy keeps on taking over and over again since they are easy prey."

I narrow my eyes in annoyance. "So, the town is deciding to do something about it now because someone of "importance" has gone missing? How long has this been going on?"

"It is hard to determine since some of these missing women and girls weren't reported until a week ago," Tsunade inform us. "I have been told that an investigation was open on this case, but they couldn't find anything. Since the leader's daughter was kidnapped, he has imposed an immediate halt on anybody leaving or entering Iwazaki until they're boats, caravans, and belongings are properly searched because it is suspected that Hanako and Tani are still somewhere in town. Since the town is requesting our assistance, you three should be able to enter the town without much hassle."

Okay, well at least they started an investigation before the two girls went missing. I was about to go on a rant.

"It does seem like all signs point to a kidnapping, but what if the girls have simply just runaway?" Shino questions. "If Hanako was last seen with Tani, they could've ran off together last night before the halt on incoming and outgoing travelers."

Tsunade nods. "That is another possibility, but Oshiro swears up and down that his daughter would never run off like that. She is treated very well, lives a very lavish life, and isn't forbidden from being friends with Tani. In fact, Oshiro has offered many times for Tani to live with them until she can get on her feet, but she always refuses the offer. If Tani wanted to leave town to better her life, she has the option to just live with Hanako. If Hanako lives a great life, why would she run away? Unless Oshiro is keeping information from us that could give a real reason as to why they would run away, we are treating this as a search and rescue mission."

Tsunade looks over at me. "I know you are more than capable of handling yourself, Hinata. But, just be careful. We don't know if the enemy is just common thugs or rogue Shinobi. So, I am labeling this as a B-ranked mission. I am saying be careful because you could become a target despite the type of girls they've been capturing. Just from one glance and most people will know you are a member of the Hyūga clan."

Crap, that is true. I might want to transform my looks to avoid any problems.

I nod in understanding. "Okay."

Tsunade places the paper back onto the desk. "If you three do not have anymore questions or concerns then you are dismissed to go pack up for the mission and leave for it. It will take about a day and a half to get to Iwazaki so pack accordingly."

Not having anymore questions or concerns, the three of us leave the office and I instructed them to meet at the main gate in thirty minutes. I make it home to pack and I am about to leave a note in my father's office when I stumble upon Hanabi. She takes one look at my backpack and mission clothes and frowns.

"You're going away on another mission? You just got back," she complains, crossing her arms. "We were suppose to spend the day together."

I smoothe down her hair. "I'm sorry. Hokage-sama's orders. I promise to make it up to you when I get back, okay? Now, will you give this note to Otou-san? I'm in a hurry to leave."

Hanabi takes the note from me. "Yes, I will. How long do you think you'll be gone this time?"

I shrug. "I really don't know. I'm going on a search and rescue mission so whenever we find the victims."

"Oh, it shouldn't be too long, then," Hanabi says. "You'll find the victims very soon with our eyes."

I give her a half-smile. "Let's just hope it is only that simple. I really have to go now. I'll see you later, Hanabi. Love you!"

Hanabi's sour look is replaced with a sweet one and she gives me a quick hug. "Okay! I love you, too, nee-san!"

Awh. Hanabi is so adorable! Great, now I feel guilty for having to leave her.

I pull away and turn to leave when a thought hits me. "Oh, Hanabi. Don't mention that I can use Lightning Release to anybody."

Hanabi tilts her head to the side. "Why?"

"I just want to wait before I get better at it to show anyone within the clan," I lie. "I had totally forgot earlier when I did the lightning infused chakra blast in front of you and Neji."

Hanabi nods. "Oh, okay! I promise I won't tell anyone."

"Thank you."

After saying one more good-bye to Hanabi, I rush out of the compound and make it to the gate just as Shino and Kiba are arriving.

"You look a little flushed," Shino points out.

I take a deep breathe. "Sorry, I thought I was going to be late."

Kiba snorts. "Late, huh? Does that happen very often? That isn't very becoming of a leader, you know."

I squint my eyes at him. "No."

Kiba waves his hand. "Oh, don't give me that look. I was just teasing with ya."

Woah. I feel like I'm having a conversation with myself when Kiba said that just now and I'm Neji. I know how Neji feels now… doesn't mean I'm going to stop teasing him.

I point at Kiba. "You can do all the teasing you want, but I'm sending you to the doghouse and allowing for just Akamaru to come along if you start to become annoying."

"Well, that shouldn't take long so I suppose I should say my good-byes to Kiba now," Shino chimes in.

I gawk at Shino and then I giggle.

Wow, Shino knows how to crack a joke?

Kiba snaps his head towards his teammate. "Hey! What's the big idea, Shino? You're suppose to be on my side!"

Shino remains silent from beyond his sunglasses.

I clap my hands together and grow more serious. "Alright, if we are done messing around, let's go! We have people to rescue!"

Shino and Kiba nod towards me while Akamaru barks in agreement and we head off.

 **Author's Note: It is time to start another arc! What awaits OC Hinata, Kiba, Shino, and Akamaru? Stay tuned!**

 **P.S.: I'm really not trying to spoil Boruto for anyone who hasn't watched it yet, but who thought Hanabi was smoking hot for those who has watched the latest episode lol?**

 **P.S.S: I'm going to break a mini hiatus for about two or three weeks. Summer classes is starting soon, I am basically working full time now instead of part time, and I am about to go on vacation so I'm going try to type up a bunch of chapters over the next few weeks so I can get ahead before I become to busy.**


	40. Chapter 40: The Search and Rescue Arc

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **The Search and Rescue Arc**

 **Chapter forty**

It is a beautiful afternoon to frolic through the trees of Hi no Kuni as we head towards Iwazaki. While it may seem peaceful, every Shinobi knows that the world outside of a Hidden Village can be deadly the second they step out of those gates. Danger can be lurking around any corner. Strong rogue Shinobi are wondering around these lands and we can come across one at any moment. Shinobi from other countries could be following us at this very moment, waiting to ambush us. After my mission in Yugakure, I am taking my newfound status as Chunin and as a leader more seriously. Facing enemies like the woman with the ability to hide her chakra, I am making sure that my subordinates and I are more aware of our surroundings so we aren't blindsided. With people like Kiba and Shino on my team this time around, I don't have to worry about tiring myself out by relying solely on my Byakugan and Shadow Clones to keep a lookout. I have Shino's insects and Kiba's and Akamaru's heightened sense of smell to seek out potential enemies.

Traveling with these two for the past few hours has made me wonder why I wasn't put on a team with them when our skills are obviously compatible with one another. I'm not complaining about about Team Ten; I love being on Team Ten. I just don't understand what happened to make me a part of Team Ten. Team Seven makes sense because Ino's skills can work with the dynamics of that team and the original Team Ten. After Asuma explained to us when we first became Genin why Sakura, Shikamaru, and I were put together, that made sense, too. But, how in the world does Choji fit in with Team Eight?

Maybe now is the best time to ask the question that I've been constantly wondering about these past few months.

I glance over at Kiba as we dash through the forest. "Can I ask you a question, Kiba?"

Kiba raises his eyebrows. "Shoot."

"Why is Choji on your team?" I ask. "How does he exactly fit in with you and Shino?"

Kiba chuckles. "I've been wondering when someone was going to finally ask us this question. I guess it makes sense for you to ask since one would think you would fit better on our team than Choji ever would. It may come across as surprising, but Choji is very valuable to our team."

I excitedly rub my hands together. Yes! I get to finally hear why Choji was placed on their team!

Kiba gives me a strange look. "Why are you rubbing your hands together like that?"

I feel my face grow red and I quickly drop my hands. "Ignore me and just answer my question."

Kiba rolls his eyes. "You're weird sometimes, Hinata. Anyways, Choji's ability of being able to enlarge his body parts is a big help on search and rescue missions. He grab ahold of people, animal, or objects that may be too far out of our reach to get. He is a great distraction for enemies and that allows Shino, Akamaru, and I to focus more on our tracking skills. Choji is very strong so he can pack a quick punch with a large fist and pummel our opponents in no time. And, according to Choji, I suppose he has some sensory skills. When it comes to food, he can determine whether it is coated with any poison, bombs, or any other deadly substances. I've never seen him actually use these "sensory skills" before, but he never has to since my nose can sniff out any poison and all the other things."

I deflate in disappointment. That's it? I waited all this time for an obvious answer like that? I figured Choji has something secret tracking/sensory jutsu that truly helps our Team Eight.

Kiba takes one look at my face and bursts into laughter. "Ha ha ha! Your face right now is priceless."

"Well, I was just expecting a more impressive response," I admit, scratching the back of my neck.

"I figured as much," Kiba chuckles.

"But, he is a very valuable asset to our team," Shino says.

Kiba nods. "He really is. Now, my ma wasn't very happy when she first heard that Choji was on our team. She was expecting for you to be on Team Eight. Having a Hyūga on her team when she was younger, she had all of these team formation ideas all planned out and was pretty mad when she realized she would never get to teach us those formations."

"I understand what you mean," I tell him. "My father wasn't happy about the fact that I was being placed on a Team Ten with a slacker and a civilian who cared more about boys than her jutsus."

"I wonder why they arrange the teams like this," Shino wonders. "All three of our parents seemed rather highly upset about our team arrangements, especially Kiba's mother if she had formations already planned out for us. I wonder if Hinata originally was suppose to be on Team Eight and then things changed at the last minute It is strange to place you on a team where there are two girls and Choji on a team with all boys. Usually, they try to put one girl on each team."

Hmmm, maybe Shino is onto something. Our parents are on the Jonin council so maybe they had some sort of meeting about our team arrangements and learned about the last minute changes, if they were any.

Kiba shrugs. "Well, they can be upset all they want. I like my team and wouldn't change it. No offense, Hinata."

I wave my hand. "None taken. I like being on a team with Shikamaru and Sakura."

Even though Sakura's fangirling and Shikamaru's laziness gets on my nerves a lot of the time.

However, I guess my straightforwardness and teasing can get on their nerves so maybe I shouldn't be saying anything.

* * *

Later that evening, we stop for the day to set up camp. Right now, we just got finished eating dinner and are just chilling by the campfire, talking about past missions we've been on.

"I just hope you'll act more like a leader than Naruto did," Kiba grumbles randomly.

"Wait, what do you mean?" I ask, a little alarmed.

Kiba sighs. "On my most previous mission, I went on with Akamaru, Ino, and Naruto, with Naruto being assigned as squad leader. We went to Cha no Kuni to help this guy win a race. The guy had a really bad attitude at times and we were just the wrong trio to mess with, being that all three of us have terrible tempers ourselves. But, Naruto wouldn't just ignore the guy and focus on the mission. He would let the guy get to him and Naruto would blow back up at him."

I chuckle. "Well, I guess somethings just doesn't automatically change when someone becomes a Chunin. Client or not, Naruto doesn't take crap from nobody."

Kiba rolls his eyes. "Yeah, but the bickering got very annoying at times. Like, I didn't see him as our leader during those moments. Just typical ol' Naruto." He shrugs. "Now, don't get me wrong. Naruto had his good moments. He was very reliable when we needed him and he came up with some pretty good plans to face our opponents and help us win."

"Well, I don't go around yelling at my clients when they get on my nerves so I think we'll be fine," I tell Kiba.

Kiba smirks. "Good. Even though the mission was a success, Tsunade about ripped him a new one when we arrived back after hearing how he allowed for the client to get under his skin like that. He was still being lectured even after Ino and I were dismissed."

I raise my eyebrows. "Oh, so you and Ino were perfect little angels, then?"

Kiba frowns. "Erm, well, no. We may have snapped at the client once or twice, but Naruto was the leader! He was suppose to be representing us and leading by example. I blame him!"

I wave my hand. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever." I turn towards Shino. "Since you weren't on a mission with me or Naruto, were you assigned one with Shikamaru?"

Shino nods. "As a matter of fact, yes. Choji and I were assigned to go on a mission with Shikamaru. I can say that he was a rather remarkable leader. He kept his cool, thought logically, and things went very smoothly."

My eyebrow twitches. "Awesome. I'm glad things went so well for you guys."

Shino arches an eyebrow. "You don't sound glad. You sound very sarcastic."

Kiba leans in and elbows my shoulder. "Eh, what's wrong, Hinata? Did Shino strike a nerve? Did your mission not go so swell?"

I shoo him away. "It went fine! The mission was a success! It just… didn't go perfect for a good while. But, we pulled through!"

Kiba gives me a mocking fretful look. "Gee, now you have me worried that this mission is going to be a disaster."

"Oh, bite me," I huff.

Kiba bares his fangs at me. "Don't tempt me or I might."

"He really will," Shino comments.

I give Shino a sideways glance. "Do you know from personal experience or something?"

Shino shakes his head. "No, but Choji does."

I scrunch up my face in confusion. "Ahhhh…. W-what? Nope, nope. You know what? Nevermind. I don't even want to know. That can be some secret or inside joke that only Team Eight knows."

Kiba howls with laughter. "Oh, come on, Hinata! It's really a-"

I spring up. "I'll take first watch! You guys just go to sleep! Nighty night!"

"Wait-"

I give them a small wave and flicker away.

* * *

The rest of the trip to Iwazaki went well. I got to enjoy getting to know Kiba and Shino more personally. Shino is actually a pretty interesting person to talk to when he gets the chance to talk. When you're around a bunch like the Rookie Nine, it is kind of difficult to get your voice out there without being loud or demanding. Kiba is just a fun person to be around, when he isn't being annoying or in a bad mood. He is someone I can hang out with if I am feeling adventurous and not think twice about any consequences that may occur. I just wish Choji was able to come because he seems like a really sweet guy who would be a loyal friend to anyone. Plus, he always has the best snacks on him that I could eat with him.

Except for the last bite. You never take the last bite of food when you are around Choji.

We arrive in Iwazaki just as the sun is starting to set and a few men watching over the entrance stops us and searches are things. They weren't Shinobi, but they were armed with small weapons so they must be some sort of guard r something. After explaining why we are here, we are cleared and someone who has been waiting for us leads us to Oshiro's house. As we walk through the town, I grow a little excited as I smell the ocean nearby.

I know that I'm not here on vacation to visit the ocean, but I just can't wait to catch a glimpse of it while we are in town. We don't live on the coast so seeing the ocean is a rare sight for us and I'm going to take advantage of looking at it whenever I can.

We arrive at a small tan house and the man who led us here knocks on it. After a couple of seconds, I hear someone run and swiftly open the door. An older looking man, perhaps in his late forties, with light hair emerges from beyond the door, thanks the man for leading us here, and then sends him on his way while he quickly ushers us in.

"I'm so glad you Konoha Shinobi are finally here," the man says, clasping his hands together and bowing.

I blink.

Is this Oshiro? His house, looks, and presence doesn't scream leader of this town. Just like his daughter, he looks average. He is dressed in a simple black long sleeve shirt and blue pants, there is no spectacular or expensive furnishings in his house just based on the living room, and he just seems to gentle and humble. I mean, he's freaking bowing to us and he's of leader status.

A woman peeks her head around the corner and I can instantly tell that is his wife because their daughter looks just like her.

"Oh, they are here!" the woman squeaks. "Thank you so much for coming. I will prepare some relaxing tea."

Oshiro shakes his head. "There is no time for that, Jin! They are here now and that means they can start looking for Hanako and Tani."

The woman gives her husband a disapproving look, but doesn't protest. She fully walks into the room and stands by his side.

I clear my throat. "Thank you for the offer, but we will go straight into looking for her. I just want to know a couple of things. First off, what does Tani look like? We received a picture of your daughter, but not of Tani."

"Tani has long sandy blonde hair that she keeps pulled back in a braid and she has green eyes. She is tall and well developed for her age, so she typically wears baggy clothes to hide her body."

Kiba arches an eyebrow. "If she is best friends with your daughter, why is this Tani girl out on the streets?"

I shoot Kiba a dirty look, but Oshiro answers Kiba, anyways. "Tani is a very stubborn and prideful girl. Hanako became friends with her about a year ago, but she didn't know for a few months that Tani was homeless. Once we found out, I offered for her to stay with us. But, she rejected the offer because she didn't want to be a burden on us. However, she isn't on the streets. She works odd jobs to keep her room in one of the inns in town and Hanako sneaks money into her bag every now and then, even though Tani doesn't like when she does that."

So, that's how they were easily kidnapped. Tani and Hanako must've been wondering the streets or when they were captured.

I speak up. "I would just like to know has there been in searches conducted so far for her? It would save us some time to know if we should start out by looking in any specific spots or not."

Oshiro nods profusely. "Of course! We have looked in all of the spots she normally hangs out in, but she hasn't been found."

"So, it is a free for all, then," Kiba says. "We'll just have to turn this town upside down."

"Just please try being discreet about it," Oshiro pleads. "I still have my men searching, but only a handful of people that I trust know I hired you three to help out. I don't want the kidnappers to catch wind and just decide to make a break for it. We have been doing thorough searches on everyone that enters or leaves, whether it is on foot or by boat. But, I'm pretty sure they'll try their hardest to leave if they really want to get out of here."

"Don't worry," I reassure the man. "We will not be discovered."

"Good," Oshiro says. "In the case one of my men does spot one of you during their shifts, they won't give you any trouble because they have already been informed that you all were coming."

Shino raises his eyebrows. "Have you placed this town on a curfew?"

"It is just temporarily until we find my daughter," Oshiro admits. "Everyone knows about it so anyone walking around after dark will automatically be suspected and questioned. Only those with permission from me are allowed out."

Well, that makes our jobs a little easier. We don't have to worry about listening in on any bar talk or creeping through stores and hotels to retrieve information. We can just stick to strictly searching through town.

"But," Oshiro continues. "My wife and I are going to be in the next room. You three can make preparations then go whenever."

Jin clasps her hands together. "Please find Hanako soon!"

Oshiro rubs his wife's back and leads her out of the room. As soon as they leave, I turn to look at my comrades.

"Okay, I have a plan," I tell them. "We are going to use the Transformation Jutsu to put us under a henge so we can search the town without being spotted by the enemy. Oshiro says this town is under a curfew, but I highly doubt they are abiding by the rules. We are going to split up so we can cover more ground during our search, but I will have a Shadow Clone accompany the each of you so-"

Kiba crosses his arms. "Do you not trust our tracking skills that much?"

I blink."Huh? I do, Kiba. Just let me finish. Anyways, the Shadow Clone is there so if you find anything you can just dissipate them and I will receive their memories and will be able to get to you as backup."

"That just leaves the other person in the dark, then," Kiba points out.

I shake my head. "No. I will just recreate another Shadow Clone and send them back out to you since we already know where you will be. From there, the clone can take the other team member to us."

"That just sounds like a waste of time," Kiba complains.

I arch an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"I agree with Kiba," Shino chimes in.

Irritation surges through me, but I try to keep it composed. "Alright. Well, do either of you have a better idea?"

Kiba flashes me a cocky grin and pulls out three wireless radio transmitters from his backpack. "It would be a better if we just communicated with these. We always use them on Team Eight if we have to split up to search so I figured just bring them on this mission."

Hmmm, that is actually a better idea. We keep in touch with one another through real time and I get to save my chakra.

"Okay, you win. I like that idea better," I tell Kiba.

Kiba smiles triumphantly. "Hey, I like hearing that. Maybe I should be the leader now!"

I take a wireless radio from Kiba. "Become as awesome as me and then you can."

Kiba gives an overdramatic sigh. "Sheesh, Hinata. I thought you were more humble than that."

"I'm a Hyūga. We don't know what the word humble means."

"She has a point, Kiba," Shino says.

Wait, did Shino just try to burn me while I tried to make Kiba feel silly by jokingly dissing myself?

Go, Shino.

"Anyways," I say. "I am going to be searching mainly in town and then extending my search outwards. With my Byakugan, I can see if they are being held captive in any of these buildings and houses."

"Akamaru and I will sniff out the spots that the girls typically hang out at to see if I can pick up a scent," Kiba says. Then, he jabs a finger at himself. "I know Oshiro said they've been searched, but they don't have a nose like us! Right, Akamaru?"

Akamaru barks in response.

"I'm going to have my bugs scatter throughout the town, but focusing more on the shipyard," Shino says.

I nod. "Great. Let's inform one another as soon as we find something. Even if we aren't having any luck, we should still check in with one another every half hour or so. We are to report back here when the sunrises if we don't find anything."

"Roger that, leader-sama!" Kiba calls out. "You two can go ahead and go. I'm gonna stick around for a bit and get a list of places and maybe an article of clothing or something."

"Alright, scatter!" I say.

I rush out of the house and Shino goes in one direction while I run up the nearest tallest building and stand on its roof. I transform myself into a common girl with dark hair and eyes, activate my Byakugan, and start to search the nearby buildings, streets, and alleyways in detail.

I feel a little awkward peeking into some of these civilian's houses, but this is a mission so it is necessary for me to do so.

After failing to find anything out of the ordinary, I move deeper into town and repeat the same process. I still cannot find anything.

Ugh, searching every single house and building is a very tedious process. I will need to rest my eyes every now and then so I don't over strain them.

"This is Shino checking in!" I suddenly hear Shino's voice blare from over the wireless radio transmitter, causing me to jump slightly.

"Damn it, Shino!" I hear Kiba snap. "Turn your volume down!"

"These are your radios, Kiba," I chime in. "Why was his volume already turned all the way up?"

"Argh, shut it, Hinata!" Kiba growls. "Anyways, what's up, Shino? You found something?"

"No, I only said I was checking in," Shino simply says.

Oh, yeah. Leave it to Shino to be the only one to remember to check in every half hour… even though it was my idea.

"What? That's it? I-"

"Thank you, Shino," I interrupt Kiba.

"You're welcome," Shino says.

I can hear Kiba pouting from over the wireless radio and then he say, "Well, I keep thinking we've finally picked up on a scent and then it fades away. It must've rained yesterday or something."

Shit. The rain would interfere and mess with Kiba's and Akamaru's noses.

"We've only began our search," I state to the both of them. "Just keep trying and check back in another half hour."

"Alright," Shino says.

"Roger that!" Kiba hollars while Akamaru barks in the background.

And then, there is silence.

Even though I just said we only started our search, I hope we find something soon. I don't want to be wasting any time with pointless searching and allow the enemy to escape with Hanako and Tani.

I shake my head and continue searching again.

About an hour later, my Byakugan stumbles upon two men walking through the streets below. They are dirty and rough looking and they are wearing brown bandannas, white stained tank tops, black pants, and black closed shoes. They are wielding small swords on their back, but they don't look like Shinobi. Their chakra reserves are very tiny and, unless they can mask their chakra well like the woman from Yugakure, they don't appear dangerous and threatening to me.

But, they suspicious looking. If they are lurking around after curfew, they may be up to something shady or have some connection to the kidnapping of Hanako and Tani.

I transform into one of the guards that we came across at the front gate when we first arrive, deactivate my Byakugan so I can mask my chakra, and leap down to the ground on the other side of the building. I brush myself off and then proceed to walk casually around the building so I can "accidentally" come across these two men. Once I round the corner, the taller man of the two bumps into me and scowls.

"Hey! Watch where you are going, eh!" the taller man shouts.

I give them an intense glare and the men must have recognized my getup because they both take a step back and suddenly appear more humble.

"Forgive my friend," the shorter guy says. "He's just an idiot who gets riled up too easy."

The tall man cuts his eyes over to his partner and I can tell he wants to bite his head off, but he holds his tongue and just mumbles apology.

I ignore their bullshit and cut straight to the chase. "Why are the two of you out after curfew?"

Both men widen their eyes in shock and then the short man quickly says, "What curfew, sir? We just arrived into this town by our ship so we were not aware of any curfew."

Lies. Oshiro says nobody was allowed to enter the town or leave without going through the guards first. If a ship was coming into the port this late, I am pretty sure they would have been informed of a curfew.

I don't call them out just yet and continue on with my cover. "Ah, I see. However, ignorance doesn't exempt you from breaking the law. Where were you two heading?"

"We were just looking for a bar to grab a few drinks and an inn to spend the night in after spending the last several days traveling by boat," the taller man explains.

"But, since everything appears to be closed because of the curfew, we might as well just head back, Riku," the shorter man says to his partner.

Riku shrugs. "I suppose you're right, Koki."

So, the taller one is named Riku and the shorter one is named Koki, huh? Thank you for being dumb enough to give me your names.

I narrow my eyes. "I'm afraid I cannot allow you to go back just yet. I'm going to have to take you in for some questioning."

Both men blink in surprise. "The hell?! Why?" Riku shouts. "We just told you why we were out!"

Koki pulls out his sword. "Damn it! Let's just get rid of him and then get out of here. I thought all of the guards were watching over the gates and the port, anyways. Not the damn streets!"

Hmmm, where would they get that kind of information?

Riku pulls out his sword and both men take a step forward towards me. In a flash, I flicker over behind them, drop to the ground, and bring my leg around to sweep them off of their feet. I kick them both upwards and they yelp out in pain as they drop their swords. The swords clatter to the ground as I jump up in mid-air to join the men and I thrust my palms out to strike the necessary chakra points to paralyze them. Both men cry out in pain once more and they collide to the ground on top of each other in a small heap. I land on the ground, stride over towards them, and lift up Koki's head by jerking his hair.

"Now, do you want to tell me the truth?" I ask in a cold voice. "Why are the two of you out after curfew?" Kiko responds by spitting in my face and I slap his face. "I guess you want to do this the hard way."

I drop his head, take a step back, and press my finger to the wireless radio transmitter. "Kiba. Shino. I may have found some suspects connected to the kidnapping of Hanako and Tani. I do not need any backup because they seem to be nothing but common thugs. I am just informing the two of you. But, you may want to check out the ships while I deal with these two."

"Way to go, Hinata!" Kiba cheers. "Now, we're getting somewhere!"

"I will make my way over there now," Shino says. "Just in case you need us for some reason, where are you at, Hinata?"

I look around to find the closest sign. "23 Sea Mist Street. There is an alleyway near here so I'm going to interrogate them there and then-"

Suddenly, I sense a large chakra sensation rushing towards me. I barely turn around in time to see a tall and burly dark skinned man glaring at me and then he punches me in the gut. The wind gets knocked out of me and I gasp for a breath of air. Then, the man spins around with blinding speed and knocks me hard across the head. I am sent flying and crash into the nearest building. My vision wavers and I cough up some blood as a migraine begins to emerge within my head. In a split second, the man is standing in front of me and clobbers me in the head a few more times. He finally let's up and I fall to the ground in pain, barely able to move and see. Darkness is slowly swooping in on me and I am trying my best to hang on, but my body betrays me.

The last thing I hear before I go unconscious is Kiba shouting my name over and over again through the wireless radio transmitter.

* * *

"Hey! Psst! Wake up!"

"Be quiet! She's completely knocked out. Just look at her."

"I could've swore I saw her arm move just now, though."

Ugh… w-where am I? I don't recognize these voices.

Argh! My head is killing me.

I slowly open my eyes and find that my vision is a little blurry. I blink a few times and I can finally see clearly again.

"Ah! I was right!"

I glance over to my left to the sounds of the voices and widen my eyes in surprise when I see Hanako and Tani sitting and binded to a chair. Instinctively, I move my body to go and free them, but I find myself unable to get up. I jerk my arms and legs around and then I look down to see that I am bound by a different set of binds then the other two girls. I am bound by chakra ropes.

Damn it. It looks like I've gone and gotten myself captured. But, that man came out of nowhere! He was so fast! I should've had my Byakugan activated, damnit!

I focus by on the two girls and find that even though they are restrained, they appear to be unharmed.

"Are you two alright?" I ask, anyways for good measure.

Tani gives me an odd look. "You're asking us if we're all right in your condition?"

I wince. "Do I look that bad?"

She nods. "Yep. There is blood and bruises all over your face."

I sigh. "Well, I'm fine so yes I am asking if the two of you are alright despite my condition."

"Yes, we are fine," Hanako answers. "Were you sent here by my father to save us?"

"Yes," I say. "I was sent here with my two other subordinates to rescue the two of you. But, I got attacked…"

Tani scrunches up her face. "I'm surprised you were captured. You seem a little too young for what these men are looking for."

I give her a puzzled look. "I'm too young… What are you talking about?"

Tani opens her mouth to respond, but the door suddenly swings open and enters the same huge man that just beat me up earlier. He stomps over to me, glances around at the three of us, and smirks. As he does so, I make note of the slashed Kumo forehead protector he is wearing around his head.

"I see you're finally awake and have gotten acquainted with these two lovely ladies, eh" the man says and then chuckles. He leans in closely to cup my chin and I try to jerk away, but his firm his grip. "Now, little lady. I'm sorry I had to rough up that pretty face of yours, but you was beating up on my men and I couldn't allow you to get away with that. Although, in my defense, you were under a henge so I thought you were just one of those lousy guards or I wouldn't have roughed you up as bad."

Gee, thanks. Sexist much?

Suddenly, he starts to get too personal by caressing my cheek and then he travels his hands slowly down my neck and gently rests them against my breasts. I still in shock as he grips onto them, squeezes them a few times, and then sighs.

"You sure do have a nice set on you for someone as young as you," the man purrs creepily. "Already going through puberty, eh?"

He's… Why… How dare he think he's allowed to touch me there!

"Get the hell away from me!" I shout and bare my teeth as anger surges through me.

This bastard better be glad I am restrained right now or he would be dead!

The man doesn't flinch or even move at my words. Instead, he just laughs.

"Ha ha ha! I didn't take you to be such a feisty one! But, get used to it, bitch. There are going to be a lot of hands on you in the near future and they are going to be a hundred times more rough than me."

I just stare at him in shock. "W-what are you talking about?!"

The man finally leans away from me and shrugs. "Ask those two. They know all about it."

With that, he he turns and leaves the room, slamming the door behind him.

I jerk my head over towards the girls, still in shock. "I… He… What the hell is he talking about?!"

I still can't believe he touched me like that!

Hanako gives me a sympathic look and flicker her eyes over towards Tani, hinting for her to speak first. She appears to be the more assertive one between the two of them.

Tani sighs. "We were not given much details, but we were told some pretty bad news. First off, we are on a boat. Second, the reason we are being capture is because they are going to sell us off for money. We are considered good looking females so we are worth a good buck. I'm sure you can put two and two together with what I am saying and what that dick just did to you."

I am putting two and two together. It isn't hard to see what that man has in stored for us.

"We are being sold as sex slaves," I whisper.

Tani grimly nods. "Yes. Of course, we are going to be used for other things. But, that will be our primary use."

No. I will not allow that to happen.

"Do you happen to know when they plan on getting out of here?" I ask. "Since they've kindapped a Shinobi like me, it will have to be soon."

"Most likely during the next guard shift once the sunrises," Hakano guesses. "There is a short period of time when the guards leave their post to check out so they can exchange shifts with the guards that are checking in. Like I said, it is a very brief period of time. But, these guys seem very sneaky and experience. I'm pretty sure they'll be able to escape without much trouble."

"How long was I in this room before I woke up?" I question.

"Hmm, not too long. Maybe an hour? But, I don't know how long they waited before they brought you in here so you could've been out longer."

Damn it, that doesn't help me out at all. Okay, it was still pretty early in the night before I was knocked out. Since I don't know exactly how long I was out, I'm going to guess around two or three hours. That means we only have a few hours before it is early morning. Which means we need to find away to get out of here fast. But… how do we do that? I'm restrained by chakra binds. The girls are bounded by regular ropes, but they've never been taught how to escape from simple ropes.

Panic starts to surge through me. I need to get out of here quick! If I don't, we will all be shipped away and I'll never see my family, friends, and home again!

Now, calm down, Hinata. This is not the time to panic. You are a Shinobi and you need to calm down so you can think logically and rationally.

I take a deep breathe. "We need to think of away on how to get out of here."

"I actually have a plan that's been floating around in my head," Tani admits.

I blink. "Well, that was fast."

Tani shakes her head. "Nah, we've just been here for awhile and have been thinking of ways to break free. Anyways, one of the lower entry men checks up on us every now and then to give us a bathroom and give us some food and water. When we use to the bathroom, we are untied and we have to use the bucket that the guard brings in with him. It is embarrassing, but when you have to go you don't really care. It isn't like we're strong enough to even think about escaping while we are untied. However, since you are here maybe we can actually escape during our next bathroom break."

A flame of hope flickers inside of me. "Yes! I can ask to use the bathroom and then I attack the guard when he unties me, loosen your ropes, and then we can get out of here!"

Tani bounces around in her chair with excitement, but Hanako gives me a worried look. "Even if our plan works, how do we get out of here if we don't know our way through the ship?"

I smirk. "I don't know how much you know about Shinobi and some of the famous clans, but I am from the Hyūga clan. My eyes are different because I possess our clan's visual kekkei genkai: the Byakugan. One of powers is that I can see great distances and through walls and such so I will be able to guide our way through here."

Hanako widens her eyes with amazement. "Wow, neat!"

Tani snorts. "I can't believe you didn't know that. I'm barely educated, but even I know about the famous Hyūga clan."

Hanako rolls her eyes. "Oh, hush. I can't help that I lived a sheltered life."

I watch for a moment as I watch the two of them bicker and slip out a small smile. They appear really close. I hope Tani will stop be stubborn once we get out of here and moves in with Hanako. They appear to be more like sisters than best friends.

"When was the last time a guard came to check on us?" I ask.

"It has been awhile," Tani tells me. "The last two visits were made by that creepy guy so a guard should be here soon to give us our breaks."

Especially since a Shinobi like me is among their midst now, they might check on us more regularly to make sure I don't find a one to breakfree. Since they have chakra bindings lying around, I highly doubt I'm the first Shinobi they have captured. But, I bet I'm going to be the first Shinobi that escapes. That man may be impressed by my rather large breasts for a preteen, but he's about to be even more impressed with my advanced skills that most people my age don't have.

 **Author's Note: As you may tell, this arc is going to take a different route and be a little more darker than usual. I know the anime/manga didn't touch on topics like this. However, this is the Shinobi world. I figured more bad stuff besides murder happens. I mean, murder and fighting is still terrible , but things like kidnapping, rape, slavery, trafficking, and etc are bound to happen in the Narutoverse like it does in real life so these topics are going to be touched on in this arc. I'm just going to head and warning y'all just incase.**

 **P.S: Sorry for the month long hiatus! Holidays are over for the summer so I'm not working full-time anymore. I'm back down to my usual hours so I should be back to regular schedule soon!**


	41. Chapter 41: The Search and Rescue Arc

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

 **Another disclaimer: This chapter may have some rated M moments in it.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **The Search and Rescue Arc**

 **Chapter forty-one**

We did not have to wait around long before a guard barges into the room. Like the two men I took down earlier, he is wearing a white tank top, black pants, black closed shoes, and a brown bandana wrapped around his head. I started to have vague flashbacks of my childhood days in my past life when I used to play Pokemon and all the little minions looked and dressed the same. It seemed like the underlings in this group seem to all have the same dress code.

The guard gives us a creepy and yellow-stained grin as he drags a metal bucket across the floor and places it in the middle of the room. Then, he digs his hands into both of his pants pockets and pulls out a canteen and three square shaped items that is wrapped up in newspaper.

"Alright, pretty ladies," the guard says. "It is time to eat up and stuff."

No. It is time for us pretty ladies to get your ass and get the hell out of here.

"I'll use the restroom first," I declare as I stare down the guard.

Usually, I would come across as meek and submissive in a situation like this. However, I bet everyone here knows now that I'm a kunoichi and acting fake is just not going to work right now. I'll just need to act like the "bitch" I've been called already.

The minion arches an eyebrow. "You do, do ya? Now, I ain't stupid. I know you're a Shinobi." He points at Tani and Hanako. "You can use the bucket, but you'll be doing it differently than those two."

How in the world am I supposed to piss in a bucket without squatting or standing over it? I'm not a guy! I cannot just whip out a dick!

"Tell me how I'm going to be using it differently, then," I grumble.

The guard smirks, drops the canteen and wrapped up items on the ground, and starts walking closer to me. "I'm keeping you tied up still, of course. But, I'll just be sliding those shorts and panties down of yours and be placing the bucket close to your pussy so you can piss."

I widen my eyes in terror. "W-what?"

"You heard me," the guard snaps.

He towers over me now. He bends down and grabs ahold of my shorts as I squirm around.

"No! If I have to use it like that I will just wait!" I shout.

"Too late now," the creep whispers in my ear.

"Wait!" Tani suddenly calls out. The guard jerks his head towards her, but I keep my focus on his hands as I continue to squirm around. "If she is changing her mind, then let me go first! I am dying to go and I can't hold it much longer!"

The guard gives her a strange look then sighs. "Fine, you can go first. I don't want you pissing yourself. I would be the one stuck with cleaning up after ya."

He let's go of me and walks over to Tani to untie her. Once she is free, she puts on a good act of waddling over to the bucket, quickly dropping her pants and underwear, and moaning sighs of relief as she starts to pee.

Well, she is peeing kind of forcefully. Maybe it isn't an act. But, the girl is brave for volunteering like that. I wonder what she is up, too?

When Tani is done, she redresses herself as the guard walks over to retrieve the bucket. Once he got close enough, Tani suddenly grabs ahold of the bucket and dumps the urine all over the guard's body. He gives out a startled cry and begins to curse and cough. Then, she swings the bucket around and hits the guard over the head with it three time. Dazed, the guard stumbles around and learns against the wall to grasp his head. While he does so, Tani scrambles over to me and untied my arms and legs. As soon as I am free, I spring up from the chair and rush over towards the guard to finish him off while Tani unties Haanko.

As I approach the guard, he recovers and attempts to throw a punch at me. I easily grab his fist and bend his arm backwards until I hear a snap. The man widens his eyes and howls in pain. I jerk him towards me as I rear my other hand back and then slam my palm into his chest hard, instantly erupting his heart and killing the man. I toss him aside like the trash he is and turn back to the girls who, luckily, weren't watching me just now.

Maybe killing the guard was a little overboard, but that's what he gets for trying to touch me. Who knows how many other girls he has touched and done much worse to? He deserves to die.

After Tani finally unties Hanako, I call to them, "Let's get out of here now!"

They both nod and we all run over to the door. Before opening it, I activate my Byakugan to determine the best and safest way to get out of here. As my vision extends out of the room, I immediately notice there are two guards waiting outside. As my vision expands further, I realize that we are at the bottom of a fairly large ship and there are minions lurking everywhere. On the deck, however, there is not a soul. If we can just get up there, we would be home free.

But, that is easier said than done when the enemy is everywhere. If they are all just common thugs, I can easily take them on by myself. However, I have two girls with me who are not Shinobi and have zero fighting experience. Though, it looks like Tani can somewhat handle herself, but I doubt from every guard we encounter. She just got lucky with the other guy because she caught him off guard.

"Are we going?" Tani questions.

"Don't be so pushy," Hanako argues. "She's probably trying to find a way out of here with her visual powers."

I shake my head. "There are guards everywhere so we are going to have to be cautious. You two stay in here while I deal with the enemies on this floor and we can escape from there."

"Are you sure you can handle all of those men by yourself?" Hanako worries.

I give her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about me. I will be fine. Just remain hidden until I come back."

Tani and Hanako take a few steps back as I press my hands together to create two Shadow Clones. The girls gape at my clones in amazement as I swing open the door… only to find it locked.

Damn it, Hinata! You are locked up in a room. You should've figured out that it would be locked from the outside!

I reach down to open my weapons pouch.

No worries. I will just pick the lock or blow up the door and… Where's my weapons pouch?!

I glance down and find it gone.

Damn it! Of course they would've taken my backpack and weapons pouch. Guess I just have to rely on my strength and chakra.

"You two might want to go to the other side of the room," I warn Hanako and Tani. "The door is locked so I am about to break it down."

The girls do not hesitate to run across the room to give me space to do my thing. I urge my Shadow Clones to stand by my side and the three of us send out a chakra blast all at the same time. The force collides with the door and smashes it into pieces. Instantly, the two guards dash into the room to see what is going on. My Shadow Clones and I do not give them time to react as we quickly knock them out and tie them up in the chairs. Then, the three of us split up and go around the halls to take on the minions. It doesn't take long at all and we are back in the room within five minutes.

"Everybody here has been taken care of," I tell Hanako and Tani. "There is a staircase down the hall so we will go up it to the next floor. I will lead the way while my clones guard over you so stay by their sides. They will protect you."

"Do you just plan on clearing each floor and proceeding to the next?" Hanako asks with a frightened look on her face. "What if you come across someone strong?"

"Hanako, you just told me to stop being so pushy so I am going to tell you to stop worrying," Tani tells her friend. "She is obviously a capable Shinobi so let's just go already. I'm tired of being in this damn room."

Hanako does have the right idea to worry. If the large man from earlier was a rouge Shinobi from Kumo then there could be more like him around. For now, I just need to worry about avoiding him. He appears to be super fast since he was able to get to me earlier before I could fully sense him. Even if I could keep up with his speed, he will be able to overpower me with his strength.

The five of us hurry down the hallway and sneak up the staircase. As we ascend the next floor, I note that there is not as many guards as there were on the first floor, but there is still a good number. This appears to be the floor where everyone bunks to sleep and eat so maybe we can get through here by catching the enemies off guard. As we tiptoe through the hall, being careful to not draw anymore people out of their room, I sneak up on my first victim by quickly spinning him around and knocking him out. One of my clones catch him before he can hit the ground and she silently lies him down.

I notice that two men will be rounding the corner in a few seconds so I take off to the other end of the hall. I place both of my palms out just as they do round the corner and they walk right into them. Since my palms collided with their chest, they cough up blood and fall to the ground as they go under cardiac arrest. I didn't hit them hard enough to kill them like I did with the first guy, but they'll probably be dead soon enough if they don't get the proper medical treatment.

As you can tell, I'm not in the mood to care about sparing people's lives. If I accidentally kill one of these guys, then whatever. They deserve it. I've already accepted the fact I don't feel anything when I kill someone.

Ha. Good thing I'm not a villain.

Suddenly, I catch a blur within my vision rapidly coming towards our direction. Before I have time to react, a strong force zips past me and heads straight towards Hanako, Tani, and my Shadow Clones. My clones jump in front of the girls, but the blur rushes through them and causes the clones to dissipate. Then, the blur turns into a solid figure and I realize that it is the same Kumo rouge Shinobi as before. He grabs Hanako and Tani by the arms and throws them to the ground.

I turn around and run down the hallway. "Leave them alone!"

The man looks and gives me an arrogant smirk. In a flash, he appears right in front of me and I stop dead in my tracks.

"You want me to leave them alone, huh?" he asks in a mocking tone. "Fine, I will and play around with you instead."

He quickly extends his hand out to grab my neck, but I barely bat his hand away. I channel Lightning Release throughout my body and I exert out a chakra blast to knock the enemy back. He surprises me by standing his ground and succeeds in grabbing my neck. He slams me into the ground and raises up his fist. Despite being pinned down, I attempt to block his attack with my arm, but he punches the floor beside of me instead. It makes a loud crash sound as he creates a small hole in the floor. Almost instantly, all of the guards that were cooped up in their rooms coming running out with swords drawn. Once they take in the situation, half of them surround me and the man while the other half surrounds Hanako and Tani. Hanako gasps and clings to onto Tani while Tani tries to shield her.

Damnit. We're outnumbered!

I send out another lightning infused chakra blast to knock the guy away from me. Once again, he doesn't budge.

Why aren't my chakra blasts having any effect on him? I understand that he's a big guy, but he's not moving even a centimeter.

"What should we do about these captives, Hayai-sama?" one of the minions standing right behind the man ask.

Hayai-sama? He must be the leader of this group.

Hayai smirks down at me and I narrow my eyes in disgust. "Lock the other two back up. They're harmless. I'm personally taking this one with me."

Some of Hayai's men snicker nearby and a bad feeling flickers in the pit of my stomach.

"Don't have too much fun, boss," one of them say.

What does he mean by that?! I am not allowing for this creep to touch me if that guy is hinting that!

I struggle around to break free, but Hayai tosses me over his shoulder like a ragdoll and starts to walk down the hallway. Suddenly, my surroundings blur around me and in a split second we are on one of the higher floors of the ship and on the complete other side of it. We are in a bedroom, probably the leader's quarters. A wave of nausea overwhelms me and my stomach starts to churn as I try my hardest to hold back the vomit that is threatening to burst out of my mouth right now. But, I fail and I throw up all over the ground. Some of it splatters on Hayai's shoes and pants and he throws me to the ground. Despite feeling ill, I take the moment to try to get away, but Hayai pins me down and slaps my face.

"Be still," he orders as he cups my chin. "That pretty face of yours is already messed up. I don't want to rough it up anymore."

I really want to spit on this guy right now, but I don't want to the shit beaten out of me like last time by Sakon so I decided to keep my mouth shut. But, what do I do? I can't move, this guy is stronger than me, and he's fast as hell. My chakra blasts do not even phase him, but maybe it can be my last resort. I just need to focus on my chakra so I can build it up to create an even bigger chakra blast that could, hopefully, faze him.

As I start to concentrate on my chakra, Hayai breaks my focus by shaking me around as he proceeds to crawl over me. In one swift motion, he rips his shirt and pants off and now is in nothing but his boxers. Fear strikes me as I widen my eyes. He takes one look at my expression and gives me an evil grin, as if he is enjoying how afraid I am.

"Virgins are worth more money, but I'll still get a hefty cut even if I have my way with you," Hayai informs me.

No, no, no, no!

"Get off of me!" I shout at the top of my lungs as I start to move around and spurting out chakra blasts like crazy.

Hayai chuckles. "Oh, you like it rough, huh? Okay, then!"

He proceeds to pin me down with one arm while wrapping his free hand firmly around my neck, but not tight enough to choke me. He leans in and roughily sticks his tongue into my mouth and starts to kiss me. I try to push him away, but he continues to slobber on me. With what little room I have in my mouth, I slam my teeth down onto his tongue. He still doesn't pull away! It doesn't appear to even phase him! I proceed to bite down even harder until I feel some of his blood mix in with my saliva and I feel nauseated all over again.

Hayai finally pulls away and I turn my head to spit out the gross contents in my mouth. The bastard takes the opportunity to yank my hair back and starts to lick and nibble on my neck and collarbones. I try to twist my head back, but he tightens his grip around my neck to prevent me from doing so. After a few seconds, he let's go of my hair and travels his hand slowly down to my breasts. He cups and squeezes them for a moment before he grabs the bottom of my shirt and starts to slide it over my head. He releases his hold on my neck briefly to successfully pull it off and I feel tears spring into my eyes as I am only in a athletic bra and pants now.

I turn into total panic mode as I start to squirm around, slap him in random places, and sending out chakra blasts. Hayai only pins me down once again and stares down at my breasts with a greedy smirk. Like he did with my neck, he learns in and begins to suck and nibble on my exposed chest area. He pulls back after a bit and goes to rip off my bra when there is a sudden pounding on the bedroom door.

"Hayai-sama!" a man calls out from the other side. "The ship is being attacked!"

Hayai's facial expression changes from satisfaction to annoyance. "Go on and deal with it! I'll be up there in a sec."

As Hayai is talking to his minion, I notice his grasp on me is slightly relaxed. I take this moment to bring my hands together just as the minion leaves and Hayai focuses his attention back on me.

"Looks like we'll have to-" he begins to say, but is disrupted by the cloud of smoke I am leaving behind as I switch places with a small nightstand.

As I appear behind Hayai, I quickly activate my Byakugan and create two Shadow Clones. They proceed to pounce on top of him and send out lightning infused chakra blasts into his chakra system as I make my way out of the door. I feel strange running through the halls in just my bra and pants and I feel very icky and violated from how Hayai just handled me without my consent back there. If his minions hadn't came and interrupted the moment… I don't even want to think about it.

But, I wonder who is attacking the ship? I would check to see what is going on up above, but I need to use my Byakugan to get to the deck first and to watch out for any of Hayai's men.

Luck is by my side as I do not see or come across one of his men. I am halfway to the deck when I suddenly get the memories from my Shadow Clones. Getting prepared for Hayai's presence, I quickly spin around just as I sense a blur heading towards me. I go to sidestep out of the way, but he changes courses on me. He tackles me into the wall and I can hear the walls creak from the sudden pressure. He punches me in the face and sends a strong electrical current through my body. I start to grow numb and my limbs just go limp as paralysis overwhelms me.

"Stupid bitch!" he shouts. "I was planning on going gentle and easy on you, but not anymore! I'm not going to hold back the next time we're alone together! For now, let's get you back in your cell."

Hayai jams his knee into my stomach and I widen my eyes as the winds gets knocked out of me. He pushes me to the ground, grabs my arms, and starts to drag me across the floor like a rag doll. He doesn't get too far before I see a cloud of insects heading our way. Hope flickers inside of me as the swarm of bugs approaches us and start to surround us.

"W-what the hell is going on?!" Hayai yells, jerking his head around.

He drops my arms and starts to swat at the bugs. I immediately spring up and take a few steps back. I feel someone grab my arm and I focus my vision behind me to see Shino standing there. Happiness, shock, and relief floods through me at the sight of his face. Without saying a word, Shino pulls me into the walls of his bug barrier, scoops me up, and sprints down the hallway as his bugs continue to mess with Hayai.

"I am so glad you are here! How did you find me?" I question. "Are you and Kiba the ones attacking the ship?"

"After you randomly stopped talking and didn't respond to us, Kiba, Akamaru, and I headed to street that you told us you were at," Shino explains. "We didn't find you there, but we did see the two guys you were telling us about, your traveling bag, and weapons pouch. We tried questioning the two men, but they didn't give us any answers so we turned them over to authorities. Afterwards, Kiba and Akamaru easily picked up your scent with your dropped items and we ended up at the ports. However, your scent was disrupted from there due to the smells of the ocean and there were too many boats to exactly pinpoint your location. We decided to send my insects into each ship until we finally figured out which ship you were on. Before we entered the ship, we reported back to Oshiro and he sent many of his guards along with us to penetrate the ship."

My mind flickers back to Hayai's room and I shiver. "I'm glad you guys finally found me. Are Tani and Hanako alright? Did you manage to find them, too?"

Shino nods. "Yes. They should be safe and sound by now. Kiba handled the men that were with them while I went in to find you." He eyes me up and down from behind his sunglasses and his voice grow cold. "Are you okay?"

I tense up and I find myself not wanting to respond. I just shake my head and remain silent. Shino just looks at me once more, but doesn't press the matter.

"Do you think your insects will hold him off?" I decide to ask instead.

"I don't know," Shino replies. "Hopefully, they can hold him off long enough for us to get away. After we fled, I had them to swarm in closer to the enemy to drain his chakra."

"Good. Maybe that will slow him down," I say. "He is abnormally fast and strong. He's too quick for me to strike him and my jutsus doesn't seem to have any affect on him."

"I will keep that in mind and will tell Kiba," Shino tells me.

I look up ahead with my Byakugan to find Kiba struggling with a couple of men wearing Kumo forehead protectors with a slash through them. The two men do not appear to be as strong or as fast as Hayai, but they are holding their own pretty well against Akamaru and Kiba. If I would have to guess, I would say they are at a low to mid Chunin level.

I didn't know there were other Shinobi on this ship. Is there more?

"Speaking of Kiba, we might need to hurry. He is fighting Shinobi now and not the thugs."

Shino nods and picks up the pace. As he does, I expand my Byakugan back toward Hayai and relieved to see that he is still trapped within the sphere of insects. Hopefully, he just stays in there and gets his chakra drained.

We finally reach the deck of the ship after a few more seconds of running. Since I am unable to move, Shino hides me behind a bundle of stacked crates and heads over to help Kiba by sending out a mass of insects from his sleeves. The insects circle the two men until I can only see them with my Byakugan. Startled, the two Shinobi glance around for a second to assess the situation. While they are doing that, Kiba and Akamaru jumps into the air and start to rotate their bodies. Using their Fang Over Fang, they enter the enclosed area to attack the enemies. They easily dodged Kiba and Akamaru and one of them quickly weaved hand signs and breathes out a wave of fire. Kiba and Akamaru spin into the air to avoid getting burned. The fire, instead, shoots towards the insects to singe them. At the last second, the wall of insects splits in two to avoid getting hit and the other man takes the chance to escape.

The man makes it to the other side just as the wall of insects closes back up and he is greeted by Shino's fist. The man quickly ducks down and punches Shino in the gut. He bends forward and then turns into a bug clone. Shino emerges from the wall of insects behind the man, pulls out a kunai, and goes to attack the man's shoulder. The enemy spins around just in time and grabs the kunai. He tosses it aside and leaps backwards to weave hand signs. Before he can complete the sequence, a large of portion of insects fly away from the wall and surround the man. Without any warning, they all swoop down and attach themselves to the man, trying to get inside of his clothes and dig into his skin. The man screams in horror and starts to shoo them away, but that doesn't work.

When Shino went to punch the man earlier, I saw with my Byakugan that a bug landed on the man when he ducked to avoid the attack. It must be a female insect and the male insects are swarming the enemy to track her down.

Neat trick.

As Shino and his insects deal with their target, I switch my focus back to Kiba and Akamaru. They appear to be having a harder time going against their enemy. Every time they try to attack, the man dodges and reacts back with a Fire Release jutsu. After a few rounds of going back and forth, an idea seems to strike Kiba as he suddenly changes his approach. Using Fang Over Fang, they go after the man once more and he dodges as expected. Instead of circling back around, the duo burrows through the wooden floor. With my Byakugan, I watch as they start to tear the insides of the ship, creating holes everywhere.

"What the hell are you thinking?!" the rogue Shinobi shouts. "You are going to sink the ship!"

He steps over to jump into the newly created hole to go after Kiba and Akamaru when Shino waves his hand and the wall of insects move on command. Half of them attach themselves to the enemy while the rest enter the hole to create even more havoc. Like the other man, the Kumo Shinobi is unable to get rid of the insects as they crawl all of his body, draining his chakra.

Shino and Kiba seem to be handling thingsnow.

I take this calm moment to focus away from the fight and on myself to see how my body is doing. I feel the paralysis starting to wear off slowly as I am slightly able to move my fingers and toes. I should be able to move better pretty soon, but it will take much longer before I am able to fight alongside Shino and Kiba. The only thing I can do for now is do what I was going to do earlier and charge up a large lightning infused chakra blast. Shino's insects seem to be very reliable, but I don't know how long they can keep themselves attached to these three Shinobi before they all break free. I want to be a backup plan for if they break free so I can paralyze them since they will be low with chakra and won't be able to react as they normally would towards my attack, especially Hayai.

Well, hopefully when it comes to Hayai.

Speaking of the devil, I tense up when a blur enters my general vision. I quickly expand my vision outwards just in time to see Hayai enter the scene. He shows up right behind Shino and slams him to the ground in one swift motion. I notice that his movements are slower than before, but he is still faster than any of us.

"Your little pests might work on them, but it isn't going to phase me," Hayai growls as he kicks Shino aside, causing him to groan in pain. "Now, where's the girl? I know she couldn't have gone far."

I widened my eyes at the mentioning of me, but Shino doesn't answer Hayai. Instead, he leaps up and jumps a few spaces back to gain distance. He pulls out a kunai with a paper bomb wrapper around it and an army of insects swarms around him, ready to attack or defend. Hayai takes a look at Shino and chuckles.

"You must be a sorry excuse of a Shinobi if you have to hide behind bugs," Hayai taunts. "You're a Shinobi from Konoha, so you must be from the infamous Aburame clan. I have to say, I'm disappointed. You clan is either overhyped or you just suck when it comes to training your bugs. Although, I will admit that they did snag some chakra from me. Other than that, I feel just fine. They just tickled me, that's all."

Shino remains stone faced in Hayai's eyes, but I notice his eyebrows twitching from beyond his sunglasses. Shino hurls the kunai into the hole and lifts up a finger to activate the paper bomb. It explodes and the ship shakes as the room below us gets destroyed. However, this must be just a signal for Kiba and Akamaru emerge out of the hole a split second later and land beside of their teammate.

"What's wrong?" Kiba questions. He notices Hayai and glares at him. "Oh, look. Another one."

"Easy, Kiba," Shino warns. "This guy is the strongest of them all. Hinata informed me that he is abnormally fast and strong so be careful."

Kiba spits. "He doesn't look that tough. We can handle him like we did the two other guys!" Kiba steps forward to go after Hayai, but Shino prevents him from doing so by grabbing his arm. "What's the big idea, Shino?"

"This isn't an opponent you can just attack head on," Shino explains. "Even Hinata's attack couldn't phase him when she was able to land one on him, which doesn't appear to be a lot with how quick she said he was. Plus, I had my insects attached to him for awhile and they barely took any chakra from him."

"Dammit!" Kiba mumbles underneath his breath.

Hayai sighs. "Look, I can just pretend you two, the mutt, and your pests never attacked my ship if you just tell me where all of the girls are. Actually, I will be happy if you will just tell me where that Hyūga girl is."

He must not be that good at sensing chakra if he cannot sense that I am storing a large amount of chakra nearby. Either that or he is just toying with them and knows where exactly I am at. I hope it is the latter.

"You're insane if you think we'll just tell you where any of them are at!" Kiba snaps, baring his teeth.

Akamaru growls alongside of his master.

Hayai shrugs. "Eh, I gave you guys a chance to avoid getting killed, but I guess you have a death wish."

In a flash, he appears in front of Kiba and Shino. He grabs them by the neck and lifts them up. This causes Akamaru to start barking like crazy as Shino's bugs rushes up to swarm their master and the enemy. However, none of this phases Hayai and he continues to choke them as they start to struggle around to escape. But, they can't. His grip is just too strong. I watch helplessly from beyond the crates with my Byakugan as I continue to gather up my chakra.

I just need a little more time! I know this blast will stun Hayai, even if it is just briefly, if I can have just a little more time!

Suddenly, Akamaru jumps up and sinks his fangs into Hayai forearm. Hayai flickers his eyes down towards Akamaru in annoyance, but doesn't seem to be in any pain. He merely swings his arm around and knocks Akamaru off. The dog lands on the ground and I let out a small whistle that only his ears will be able to hear. Akamaru's ears perk up and he runs past Hayai to meet me behind the crates.

"Heh, looks like your mutt is smart enough to know when to call it quits unlike his master," Hayai says with a smirk. "Now, it is time to finish the two of you off."

"Akamaru!" I whisper. "You need to distract him for a moment and I will come to back you up!"

Akamaru nods in response and runs back out towards Hayai. He leaps right over the man and starts to spin in the air, urinating everywhere. The urine rains on Hayai and it gets in his eyes, burning them.

"Ah!" he shouts in pain. He drops Shino and Kiba as he covers his eyes. "What kind of piss is that?! My eyes are burning!"

What… what does he mean what kind of piss is that? I would think piss would just naturally burn your eyes. I guess someone has peed on his eyes before.

As Shino catches his breath, Kiba coughs a few times and then springs upwards just in time for Akamaru to land perfectly on his shoulders.

"Shino, you might want to backup and join Hinata," Kiba warns.

"You're going to crush the ship if you use that jutsu," Shino tells him.

Kiba shrugs. "You keep claiming this guy is faster than me. Well, I'm about to prove you wrong!"

Shino doesn't humor Kiba any further as he falls back behind the crates to join me, his insects falling him and returning back into his jacket.

"What is Kiba about to do?" I ask, still concentrating on my chakra.

"You're about to find out," Shino replies."

Kiba presses his fingers together. "Human Beast Combination Transformation: Double-Headed Wolf!"

A large poof of smoke masks them and it quickly fades away to reveal a large wolf with two heads, each baring long, sharp fangs and angry red eyes. One of the paws crashes through the wooden floor of the ships, easily revealing how fragile this ships is compare to the duo's newfound strength and power.

Holy shit… he's huge!

"W-wow," I stammer as I gaze up at Kiba's and Akamaru's new transformation.

Shino nods. "Indeed, wow. This new transformation has dramatically increased Kiba's and Akamaru's strength and speed."

"I-I can see that," I sputter back.

Holy shit… he's huge!

And, yes, I will keep thinking that over and over for the rest of my life for everytime I see this transformation.

Hayai finishes rubbing the urine out of his eyes and opens them to see his new enemy. The large wolf growls at him and a large amount of drool begins to pour out of his mouth, create a small pool below. Hayai widens his eyes in shock for a split second and then recovers with a smirk.

"So, you transformed into a large mutt," Hayai says. "Heh. This should be fun."

He makes a series of hand signs and then extends his hand outwards.

"Lightning Style: Thunderbolt!"

Two blue discharges begin to form at the palms of Hayai's hands, making a loud crackling sound. The blue lightning shoots out of his palms, but not towards the wolf. The lightning dances around the ship and heads straight towards the two men that are covered in insects. From beside of me, Shino waves his hand and his insects scatter just as the lightning is drawing near. However, at the last second, Hayai manipulates the lightning to move away from his men and to circle back around to hit the wolf. The wolf senses it coming and jumps into the air. Hayai cuts his connection off with the lightning and leaps up to join the wolf. He rears his fist back as it starts to charge up with electricity and brings it forward to punch the wolf. The punch collides with the wolf's forehead and the charged up electricity gets released from Hayai's fist and starts flickers around the wolf's body. The wolf growls in pain, but doesn't seem to get paralyzed from the attack. As the wolf lands back on the ground, Hayai performs a quick front flip and lands on his back. The beast begins to trash about to get Hayai off, but he doesn't budge as he hangs on and continues to shock the animal.

While that is going on, the two men Kiba and Shino were facing earlier slowly attempt to stand up and stumble around as they do so.

I look over at Shino. "Did your insects not have much affect on those two ethier?"

Shino shakes his head. "It would have affected them if my insects were latched onto them longer. While there were many, many insects on them, my insects are tiny. So, it takes a while to drain an enemies chakra. Targeting a single enemy is easier than multiple ones."

I glance up at the trashing wolf. "Do you think we should take them on while they are dazed or let Kiba and Akamaru stomp on them?"

Shino narrows his eyebrows. "Those two should be dealt with, but not by the both of us; only me. You are in no condition to fight, Hinata."

"Maybe not to fight, but I do have enough strength in me to take them on in one shot," I tell him. "After we deal with them, I can fall back while you get Hayai off of Kiba and Akamaru so they can do their thing."

I was wanting to use my chakra blast on Hayai personally, but I suppose I will settle for the other two since the circumstances calls for it. Plus, I am thinking Kiba and Akamaru are wanting to use an more advanced version of their Fang Over Fang to defeat Hayai. They probably can't use it right now because Hayai is on their back, and is most likely strong enough to hang on, and they will totally destroy the ship with us on it.

"Just tell me how I can assist you and then retreat immediately," Shino says. "Once I am done helping out Kiba and Akamaru, we are getting out of here."

I nod. "Alright, let's get things started. I want you to go out there first to draw them closer to one another. Once they are near, I will come out and attack them while you get out of the way. Those two should drop after one hit."

"Let's hope they do," Shino says and he runs out into the open.

As Shino tries to draw them near, I focus my full attention on my chakra to build it up a little faster. If I wasn't paralyzed, my chakra flow would be normal and it would be built up already. Now, I've never done this before so I am hoping this will paralyzed those two Kumo Shinobi long enough for Shino to get Hayai off of Kiba and Akamaru and for us to escape.

After a few seconds, I notice that Shino has brought the two men close enough for me to attack. I take a deep breath, rise up, and carefully climb on top of the crates. Once I am up there, I leap off the crates and in between the two rogue Shinobi. They blink in surprise at my presence and I respond back by extending my arms out to charge up the lightning infused chakra blast. I feel my body starting to tingle as the electrical currents flow through my body and then I release the blast. Lightning explodes out of my teknestu points and dance towards the two men. The lightning strikes them and their bodies shake for a second as they are being shocked before the force of the chakra blast knocks them to the ground. One of them hit their head hard enough to instantly knock them out while the other tries to get back up, but is unable to move.

Damn, I totally fried those guys. I guess I charged up too much electricity, but oh, well. They deserved it. They are lucky that I didn't kill them.

Suddenly, I am feeling exhausted from using so much chakra and power all at once and I drop to my knees. I grab my head as I feel a headache coming and I deactivate my Byakugan. I adjust my body as I lean against the crates to rest and give Shino a thumbs up to hint that I am fine. He nods in approval and then rushes over to approach the wild wolf. Shino climbs up the wolf's legs and shoots his hands out to order his bugs to get to Hayai before he does. The insects follow his command and start after Hayai. The Kumo Shinobi sees them coming and gives the beast he is riding a good slash to the back of the neck with a kunai before leaping off, leaving the kunai in place. The wolf howls in pain, but keeps his composure once he sees that Hayai is off in order to not hurt Shino. Shino jumps off at the same time to run over to me just as the wolf pounces back and crouches down to get into position.

Just as Shino reaches out to grab my arm, Hayai appears out of nowhere and shoves Shino back. In one quick motion, Hayai swoops me off of my feet and tosses me over his shoulder. I tried to flail around, but he has me in a strong grasp and I am feeling tired and drained at this point. Before he can take off with me, I hear a loud roaring sound and then I find myself in the air. I gaze down to see that Hayai has barely avoid a large spinning wolf. Hayai seeks refuge on the ship's mast, but the wolf tears through the ship and rotates upwards towards us.

"Fuck!" Hayai curses.

He hurls my body towards the incoming twister to avoid getting hit and leaps back down. I open my mouth to let out a silent scream as I widen my eyes in fear. But, the impact never hits me. Instead, the wolf changes direction at the last second and follows Hayai while I freefall towards the partially destroyed ship. Thankfully, a swarm of insects files up to save me and I land on them instead. They carry me over to the port where Shino is standing and drop me carefully into his arms before retreating back into their master's body. While Kiba and Akamaru deal with Hayai, Shino turns around and starts running away.

"Wait!" I shout. Shino doesn't stop running, but he slows his pace and raises his eyebrows. "I can't let anybody in town see me in just my bra!"

I know that should be the last thing on my mind, but I've already felt and been violated enough tonight. It is already humiliating enough for a horny man and Shino to see me in my sports bra. I don't anybody else taking a peek.

Shino is silence for a few seconds and then says, "We still have another hour before the sunrises and the curfew is still on so nobody is going to be around to see you. But, once we get into town, I will stop in a secluded place and give you something to put on."

I give Shino a thankful look. "Thank you."

We finally make it into town after a few minutes and Shino ducks into a small alleyway to hide behind a dumpster. He takes a black tee-shirt out of his backpack and hands it to me. I jerk the shirt away from him and hurry to put it on, sighing in relief once I have done so.

Well, this shirt covers most of my bruises and hickies, but someone would be able to see the couple that is higher up on my neck. When I get my backpack back, the first thing I am doing is throwing on my jacket and zipping it all the way up to hide everything. Even though Kiba and Shino will have seen it by that point, I don't want them to be exposed. I still don't know how I feel about what I just went through.

I mean, I was almost raped. If Shino and Kiba had not picked the perfect time to ambush the ship, I would've been raped. I was lucky enough to not have that happen to me, but I was still sexually assaulted and I feel so violated and icky. I don't know how to explain this feeling. I've been beaten, knocked out, mind fucked, had my eye ripped out of my socket, and I felt horrible after each incident. But, I feel so low right now and it seems so minor compared to what I've been through.

I don't know. Maybe I should just do what I usually do and suppress my feelings and emotions to keep calm and collected.

"Will you be okay right here while I go back to the port?" Shino asks me.

I nod. "Yes. Will you be okay going back there?"

"I am hoping Kiba and Akamaru has defeated Hayai," Shino admits. "If so, we are going to bind the rogue Shinobi with chakra bindings and have them locked up to let Oshiro deal with them. Tani and Hanako are in the safety of Oshiro's guards and should be in his custody right now. You can actually go back to his house if you can make it there."

I give a reassuring smile. "I'm pretty sure I can make it there. I will be taking my time since I do not have full mobility of my body yet, but I don't think no one is going to mess with me anymore."

Shino lifts up a finger and a single bug crawls out of his sleeve and onto his finger. "I'm going have him travel on you until you make it back safely. If anything happens to you on the way there, he'll fly back to me and we will be there as soon as possible."

I watch as the insect flies over to me and crawls into my pants pocket. I hope I don't accidentally squash or suffocate him while he's in there.

"Thank you for watching over me, Shino," I tell him. "Just you, Kiba, and Akamaru come back soon. Oh, before you go, did you guys pick up my backpack and weapons pouch?"

Shino nods. "We turned it over to one of the guards. It is probably back at Oshiro's place."

I mean, it isn't that big of a deal if I lost my backpack. It would just be a pain to buy a new one and a whole arsenal of weapons and traveling supplies. Plus, I really want to put on my jacket.

I thank Shino once again, we say our good-byes, and we part ways for the time being. I hobble through the darks streets as fast as I could back to Oshiro's place.

I am not worried about anybody ambushing me. I'm just really exhausted and want to lay down. But, I know I still have a long night and day head of me. We have to see how Hanako and Tani are doing, we have to interrogate the captives, and we have to send a report back to Konoha to see what they want us to do with them. If they were just regular thugs, Oshiro could've just dealt with them. However, these are rogue Shinobi from Kumogakure. They need to be notified that they have entered our territory and proceed from there.

After a few minutes of walking, I pass a building with large windows and my eyes instantly cut over to the side at the sight of reflection. As soon as I see myself, I stop dead in my tracks and turn fully on to study myself. I raise my hand and carefully rub my face, feeling my bruises, wounds, and dried up blood. I travel my hand down to my neck, pull down my shirt, and gasp. My neck and chest looks horrible. It is covered in hickies and bruises.

I knew I had a lot on me, but I didn't know it was this bad…

I bring my hand down to my breast and quickly pull back because they are still feeling sore and tender from being messed with. A dreadful feeling overwhelms me and a lump begins to form in my throat as tears spring into my eyes.

No woman… no. Nobody should be violated like this. Who knows how many women Hayai and his minion have sexually assaulted and sold off? Sure, Tani, Hanako, and I were spared tonight and Hayai will not be assaulting or selling people anymore, but what about everyone else? They've already been kidnapped, mistreated, and sold off and nothing can be done about it. They will continue to be used as sex slaves everyday and I highly doubt Hayai will reveal his clients and where everyone is at so we can rescue them.

A wave of anger surges through me and I ram my fist into the wall next to the window to prevent myself from shattering the glass.

Damnit! Compared to what they're consequences may be, it will never make up for how many lives they have ruined! They deserved to be locked up and tortured everyday until they died! Or, reap what they have sowed and be used as sex slaves, too. I probably shouldn't think that, but fuck them!

I know I am an adult in mind and spirit, but I am biologically almost thirteen years old. Hayai is a fucking creep for trying to molest a rape a preteen and he is sick in the damn head! He doesn't care if he's with a child or an adult as long as he is pleasured. He deserves to have his dick sliced off and to be beaten and tortured every single day! Killing him would be too easy. It would just be an easy way out for him. He would get the last laugh. Hell, I don't ever feeling anything when I kill someone so I can easily torture him without a problem. Just sneak into his jail cell after everything is said done, have my way with him, and leave before getting caught. No one would see. They might suspect it was me, but they wouldn't have any proof. They would most likely just turn a blind eye and say report that the wounds came from the fight on the ship.

I turn around to lean against the wall and take a deep breath as these dark thought keep flooding my mind. I close my eyes as my tears stream down my cheeks and I open and close my now bruised, and possible sprained, hand.

This sucks. All of this sucks. Why was I chosen to lead this type of mission? I may have helped rescue Tani and Hanako, but I will never be able to help recuse all the other girls and women that have been taken.

This fucking sucks!

I shake my head and continue walking towards Oshiro's place, sobbing all the way there.

* * *

The rest of the night dragged on. As soon as I had arrived at Oshiro's I was done crying, but my eyes were red and puffy. Thankfully, nobody commented on my condition when I walked through the door and offered me tea and food instead. I decline, not having an appetite, and they proceeded to give me their thanks for reducing their daughter and Tani. Oshiro said they would be rewarding us very well for rescuing them so I am suspecting we'll be receiving a hefty amount of money before we leave. Tani and Hanako were passed out on Hanako's bed so I stayed awake in the kitchen with Oshiro and his wife, but I remained quiet and withdrawn most of the time. I only spoke when I was spoken to.

At sunrise, Kiba, Shino, and Akamaru finally arrived. They reported that Hayai and his men are all in custody, there were no more captives on the ship, and the ship is very damaged. The two men I attacked are still paralyzed and Hayai was almost ripped to shreds by Kiba's and Akamaru's Super Fang Wolf Fang. We headed off to go interrogate the bunch, but Kiba took one look, and whiff, of me and forbid me from coming. Actually, he sensed Hayai's scentt all over me and wanted to know what the hell he did to me, but I didn't answer and Shino had to basically drag him out of the house.

The whole time I just hoped Kiba got some answers before ripping Hayai's head off.

After they left, Oshiro had some of his men escort me and my things to a hotel and paid for a hotel room for my me and my teammates to sleep in. It is colder now, because this port town is a popular tourist place for fishing so most of the rooms were booked, resorting to us sharing one. Which, I didn't mind. If we can all share the same tent while traveling, what's the difference when it comes to sharing a room? If I have to change clothes or something, I'll just go to the bathroom or they can shut their eyes for a moment and vice versa with me.

The first thing I do when I make it to the hotel room is throw on my jacket, zip it all the way up to my neck, and crawl into bed. I pull the covers over me and drift off to sleep.

For the first time in weeks, the nightmares of Itachi repeatedly killing me over and over again returned.

THUMP!

The loud noise jerks me out of my sleep and I grab the kunai from underneath my pillow and instantly jump out of my bed. I activate my Byakugan and scan the room to find Kiba, Shino, and Akamaru standing by the door. Kiba is wearing an apologetic look on his face while Shino and Akamaru appear mildly annoyed at Kiba.

"Sorry for waking you, Hinata," Kiba says. "I didn't mean to slam the door that hard."

I take a deep breathe once I realize it is just Kiba being an idiot and deactivate my Byakugan before sliding the kunai back underneath my pillow. I yawn and rub the sleep out of my eyes then reach up to rub my temples to try and control the headache that is currently pounding my head from not sleeping well.

Nightmares will do that to a person.

"It is fine," I reply in a low voice. I sit down on the bed. "How did the interrogation go? I wish I could've went."

So I could've tortured that motherfucker.

Shino quickly responds to me first before Kiba can run his mouth. "We did not get much information out of them. We do not know what they were planning to do with Tani and Hanako or where they were going to take them. We reported as much as we could and sent it off to Konoha just a few moments ago. Oshiro told us that since we going to have to stay around town until we receive an answer that we should enjoy ourselves while we are here since our mission is technically complete. He encourages us to go to the beach one day with the girls and he has invited us to his place for dinner tonight."

Kiba shifts his eyes over towards Shino. "That's if Hinata feels up to doing any of that."

I sigh. "I'll go. I do not want to decline their offer. Plus, I do want to see how Tani and Hanako are doing. Are they going to be at the beach later today?"

Shino tilts his head. "I am pretty sure they are. The girls said the ocean will calm their minds and wash away all the evil they have experienced."

Wash away all the evil? If only it were that simple.

Kiba walks over and flops down on the bed across from mine. "But, seriously, Hinata? Are you okay? You told me you were last night, but I don't believe you. I smell that bastards scent all over you and you look like complete shit, no offense. I mean, come on! You never wear a jacket like that! You're hiding something."

Shino gives his teammate a stern look. "Kiba, I don't think Hinata wants to talk about it. You need to respect her decisions."

Kiba frowns at me. "Well, shouldn't you go see a doctor or something? You're pretty beaten up."

"I don't think a doctor will want to look at bruises" I say back, dryly. "And, I won't look as bad once I shower all of this dry blood off."

"But-"

"Dammit, Kiba! I'm fine!"

Kiba narrows his eyes and the room grows silent and cold. I internally groan at my mistake and cover my face with my hands.

I am feeling a lot of emotions right now, but I didn't mean to direct any anger towards Kiba. He's being consistent, but I know he is just worried about me.

I drop my hands and sigh. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. I know you guys are worried about me, but I really don't want to talk about it. I may not be fine right now, but I will be. Just trust me, okay?"

Kiba's face softens up, but he still wearing the same stubborn expression. He crosses his arms and says, "Yeah, Hinata. Just know we're here for you if you want to talk."

I nod. "Thank you. I really appreciate that. Now, I'm going to go take a shower now."

I stand up and walk away without waiting for a reply. I close the door behind me, strip down, and turn the shower on. As I wait for the water to warm up, I take a look at myself in the mirror and examine my body once more.

Maybe I will feel less gross after I wash all of this blood and Hayai's scent away.

 **Author's Note: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!**


	42. Chapter 42: The Search and Rescue Arc

**Discalimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **The Search and Rescue Arc**

 **Chapter forty-two**

He's not coming off… He's not coming off! I'm scrubbing and scrubbing, but I can still feel Hayai all over me!

I slam the blood-stained washcloth down, back up against the shower wall, and slowly slid to the floor. The shower is still going as I ignore my throbbing and bruised hands to hug my knees and hide my face from the world. .

I feel gross. Disgusting. Why can't I get him off of me?! Stupid bastard needs to…

I jerk my head up and bring my hand to my forehead.

Calm down, Hinata. You don't want to start thinking those dark thoughts, again. It will only make you feel worse.

I take a deep breathe and stand up.

I need to get out of this shower... I'm tired of looking at my body…

Maybe going back to sleep will help me feel better.

I turn the shower off and reach to grab my towel. After drying off, I twist the towel around my hair and step out of the shower to throw my clothes on. As I am primping in the mirror to make myself look decent since I am sharing a room with Shino and Kiba, my ears perk up to the sound of voices coming from the bedroom. I activate my Byakugan to snoop and see that Hanako and Tani are in the room, chatting it up with my comrades. I quickly deactivate my dōjutsu and lean against the sink.

Crap, what are they doing here? I bet they are wanting us to go to the beach with them. I mean, I wasn't planning on secluding myself all day, but I really wanted to be left alone until I forced myself to Oshiro's place for dinner later tonight.

I sigh and unwrap the towel off of my hair. I run my fingers through my damp dry hair until it looks alright enough, plaster a fake smile onto my face, and walk out of the bathroom.

"I thought I heard your voices," I say as I shut the door behind me.

Hanako bows politely. "I apologize for stopping by on such short notice."

I waved my hand. "Oh, it is no big deal. We weren't doing anything important as you can tell by my wet hair."

Hanako chuckles as Tani runs over to me and hugs me, catching me by surprise. "I'm so glad you're okay!" she exclaims. "I thought something bad had happened to you once that guy dragged you away from us."

I try hard to keep my smile from wavering. "Psssh, that guy? He put up a tough fight, but we defeated him and rescued the two of you so that's all that matters."

Tani pulls back. "Oh, yeah! Thank you so much for saving us! We've already thanked those two a thousand times, so now it is your turn!"

Hanako bows again. "Yes, thank you!"

I shake my head. "It is no problem. We would go back and do it again!"

Tani crosses her arms and rolls her eyes. "Well, hopefully it doesn't happen again!"

Hanako nods in agreement and then says, "Before you came out, we just asking Shino and Kiba if they wanted to visit the beach with us. We were on our way there."

Ugh, I really don't want to go. If I am going to experience the beach for the first time I want to be in a good mood and enjoy myself.

Kiba catches on to my long pause and adds "If you're feeling up to it. I know you mentioned earlier that you were tired."

Nice save, Kiba.

Hanako clasps her hands together. "Have you not slept, Hinata? I'm sorry! We can leave if we're bothering you."

I dismiss my hesitation. "Nah, I'm fine. I would love to come."

I start towards the door, but Kiba coughs behind me and I turn around. "Hmm?"

"Don't you want to dry your hair first, Hinata?" he asks.

I bring my hand up to my hair and widen my eyes. Crap! I'm losing it.

I drop my hand. "Oh, yeah. That might be a good idea. Everyone hang on for just a few minutes!"

I waltz back into the bathroom and then drop my act as I close the door behind me.

Way to make yourself look like an idiot! You're going to catch a damn cold if you go out into the cool air and near the water with a wet head!

After drying my hair, we leave the hotel room and head down the street towards the beach. Nobody talks as we walk, but the atmosphere isn't awkward. It is oddly peaceful and it is making me feel uneasy.

Tani and Hanako are two civilians who probably had not had anything much worse than being kidnapped happen to them. So, why are they acting so calm and normal? Are they putting up an act like I am? I mean, maybe Tani has experienced some bad things in her life since she is homeless, but Hanako admitted herself that she was sheltered growing up. She is the leader's daughter, so she has, most likely, lived a great and safe life up until this point.

I suppose I could straight up ask they how they are feeling, but that would be odd and rude of me. I didn't like Kiba prying back there, so I don't think they would appreciate me asking if they are feeling the same way I am. Plus, they might think something is wrong with me if I randomly ask them that. I am a Shinobi. They should feel safe around me and do not need to know that I'm feeling very vulnerable right now.

As soon as we arrive at the top of the hill that leads down to the beach, I inhale sharply as the ocean comes to view. I hear the distant sound of the waves lapping over one another as they glisten from the rays of the afternoon sun. Kiba whoops and he and Akamaru rush down to the shore in excitement and we take our shoes off and follow him. I halt to a stop briefly once my feet makes the sudden switch from hard ground to the soft sand. I dig my toes into the sand and look down as I watch the sand get caught in between them and I wiggle them around. I cup my hands together and bend down to scoop up a handful of sand. It feels really fine and warm as I hold it and then I drop the sand. However, a cool breeze picks up the falling sand and it swirls around in the air for a moment. Then, it scatters and the grains rains back down to join the rest of the sand. I turn my focus back to the ocean and blink towards the breathtaking view.

Wow, the ocean is so beautiful. I've picture of it before, but those do not even compare to the real thing.

"Get in, Hinata and Shino!" Kiba calls. I look over to see him and Akamaru wading through the water and waving over at us.

Shino shakes his head. "I will pass. My insects will not take a liking to the ocean."

Kiba rolls his eyes. "Whatever. Come on, Hinata!"

Maybe playing around in the water will ease my mind for a bit.

I step over towards the ocean and allow for the water to sweep through my feet.

"Ugh, it's cold," I mumble as I leap backwards.

Kiba laughs in the background. "Of course it's cold, Hinata! What did you expect?"

"To not get hypothermia," I reply as I shiver and rub my arms. "I'm just going to enjoy the ocean over here with the others."

Kiba waves his hand. "You guys are not fun."

I turn around to walk away from the water and see that everyone is doing their own thing now. Hanako and Shino are collecting seashells while Tani is building her version of a sandcastle. I decide to just sit down in the sand, watch the ocean, and try to calm my mind.

The beach is nice. I could almost lose myself in the ocean if I stare at it for too long. Maybe if I look at it while thinking about other things, I can repress these thoughts and feelings like I usually do and move on…

Suddenly, Tani interrupts by sitting down next to me. I sensed her coming a few seconds ago, but I didn't think she was coming to sit next to me.

"You're acting strange," Tani says before I can greet her.

I blink in annoyance at her bluntness.

Tani doesn't even know me. How would she know if I was acting strange or not?

I plaster a small smile onto my face. "I'm fine. I'm just thinking about some things."

Tani knits her eyebrows together and scoots closer to me. "Look, I know there is something wrong."

I keep my composure. "There is nothing wrong so I'm afraid I have no idea what you are talking about, Tani."

Damn, can this girl back up? Has she ever heard of personal space?

Tani doesn't let up. "When we were split up back at the ship, what did that guy do to you?" I tense up, but I shake my head in response and Tani sighs. "I'm not stupid. Something happened and you're not going to feel better if you keep thing bottled up."

I arch an eyebrow and give Tani a hard look.

Okay, this girl is overstepping her boundaries. She doesn't even know me that well so she shouldn't feel this comfortable to start making accusations about how I am feeling; even if they are correct.

I look away from Tani, lean my head back, and shut my eyes.

Since Tani is sensing that I am acting weird, maybe I should just go ahead and ask her why her and Hanako are acting like they weren't just kidnapped.

I glance back over at Tani and ask, "You said that I am acting strange. Well, why are you and Hanako acting like you two weren't just kidnapped and almost sold into slavery?"

"Answer my question first and then I will answer yours," Tani replies.

I have a feeling that Tani has an idea what Hayai did to me and that is why she keeps pushing me to open up to her. It sounds like she is trying to lead up to something she really wants to say.

Maybe I should open up to her. Maybe she has experienced the same thing I just went through before.

I take a deep breath. "Were you or Hanako treated… inappropriately by any of those men on the ship?"

"Besides roughly kidnapping us, no," Tani answers. "I mean, they commented and stared at our bodies, and they got a little close to play with our hair and face. But, nothing terrible. Why?"

I am assuming Tani and Hanako aren't as shakened up as me is because they were only kidnapped and nothing else. Sure, getting kidnapped is scary. However, they are safe now so maybe they are just trying to forget the fact they were kidnapped and almost sold off into slavery.

I am glad they went through what I went through, but now I am regretting asking Tani that question. She is expecting an answer now and I don't really want to open up to her anymore.

Tani sees that I am struggling to answer and continues to speak in a much lower voice. "Are you asking because you were treated inappropriately?" I lower my eyes, not saying anything. "Yeah. I figured so. You're too covered up for a visit to the beach, even if it is a little chilly, and you are acting standoffish."

I don't want to talk about this. I don't want to talk about this.

Tani sighs. "You know… I was raped, too, once."

I jerk my head towards Tani in shock. "No, I-"

Tani holds up her hand. "Just let me speak, please. Anyways, I was born an orphan and came from a small village a few miles from here. I don't know anything about my family so I was raised in an orphanage until I was fourteen and was booted. I was considered a troublemaker, which I was. I was caught stealing and hooking up with boys one too many times, and I was leading a bad example for the younger ones. Even though I was acting out, I don't think that I should've been kicked out. Nobody ever talked to me or tried to get me to stop. They would just punish me and then move on.

"Iwazaki wasn't too far from my hometown so I traveled here to see if I can find work and a place to stay. But, nobody wanted a young teenage girl with no skills and a weak education to work for them. After a few weeks, I was getting tired of hungry and cold so I decided to use what I got to get money. So I started to observe the men in town, scouting them out in the bars and such. I would base my target on what they looked like, how tough they looked, if they were a local or a visitor, and if they had any valuables on them. My ideal guy was someone who wasn't that look good looking or strong, wasn't a local, and was carrying something good on them.

"Once I find my guy, I would follow them into their hotel or bar, stand beside of them for a bit, and then strike up a conversation with them. I have always been older looking and well developed for my age, so I had not problem getting guys to find me attractive and want to hook up with me. After a couple of drinks, which I would always dump out or switch which water when the guys weren't looking, we would go up to a hotel room. I would play along at first by flirting, touching, and kissing. Then, I would suggest we spice things up by getting him naked, tying him, to the bed, and blindfolding him. While the guys would wait for me, I would quickly put my clothes back on, grab his wallet and anything else good, and sneak out of the room. I don't know what happens whenever I leave because I was never caught or pursued by anybody. I would always change my name with each guy and then hide out for a few days before searching for my next prey.

"After awhile, I had enough money to buy food and spend a few days at a time in a hotel room. I did this for about a year until all of my luck ran out one night. When I suggested to this man that we spice things up and told him what I wanted to do to him, his whole demeanor suddenly changed. He became aggressive and told me that he knew what I was up to. Apparently, I had stolen from a friend of his a few months ago and his friend had complained to him about it. I tried to get out of there, but he grabs me by my hair and yanks me to the bed. From there, you know what happens without me going into any details.

"During the whole time, the man kept beating on me, calling me a whore, and saying that I deserve this. It was karma for teasing and stealing from all of those men. When he was finally done, he threatened my life if I told anyone what happened. I believed him and ran off before he could do anything else to me. After that incident, I stopping trying to survive and just wanted to die. I believed what the man said and thought I deserved to be raped as punishment from stealing from those men. I even believed for a long time that I wasn't even raped because I was trying to seduce the man before he figured out my plans. Even though I told him no over and over again, I still thought I was in the wrong. A few weeks after what happened, I was on the verge of dying. I was sick, starved, exhausted,and disgusting. I had lice in my hair and had a terrible rash going on at the time. Desperate times were calling for desperate measures and I decided to go back to my old ways of stealing for some food. I was, in some ways, on a suicide mission, too. A little part of me was hoping that if I got caught that the person would just beat me up until I died just so I could get put out of my misery.

"Instead of stealing from men, I decided to sneak into a house to steal some food. I was in one of the more wealthier parts of town so I was hoping to get out of here with some good quality food. I didn't even care about money anymore. I just wanted something decent in my stomach. It was the middle of the night and I managed to sneak in without any problem. As I was trying to find the kitchen in the complete dark, my dumb ass ran into a shelf and knocked some books off of it. I tried to find a place to hide as I heard footsteps run into the room I was in. I ended up hiding behind the curtains. It was a thick layer of curtainsns so I was hoping it swallowed up my figured and I wouldn't be caught. Even though a little part of me was hoping to get caught, that was only just a little part of me.

"A few minutes later, I was found by a guard due to my terrible smell and was dragged over to the middle of the room. I didn't resist or anything. I just remained quiet and kept my head bowed. Then, I heard a kind and gentle voice ask me why I trespassed into their home. I looked up and realized I was in Hanako's dad's home. I told him the truth, how I was hungry and was just looking for some food. To my surprise, Oshiro offered me some food and even extended his kindness by allowing me to shower and stay the night. He noticed that I was sick and had his wife to take care of me. She is actually a nurse so it worked out in my favor. I ended up staying a few nights until my lice and rash went away and I felt better.

"By the point, I had not met Hanako or even heard of her until I felt like I had overstayed my welcome and tried to leave one day. I had left a thank you note to Jin and Oshiro and was heading down the stairs when Hanako came out of nowhere. Apparently, she had been away with some friends for a few days and had just came back late last night from her vacation. She wasn't scared or anything. She simply introduced herself to me and started asking questions to get to know me. I knew her parents hadn't said anything to her about me because she thought I was the new maid they just hired. I played along for a bit and then I tried to leave, but I was caught by Oshiro before I could. He tried to get me to stay a little longer, saying if I was homeless that he would hire me as help. I would get paid and have a place to stay."

So, Oshiro already knew that Tani was homeless the moment she was first caught? He told us that they didn't figure that out until a few months in. He must've been protecting Tani so we wouldn't know that she went through all of this.

"These people were so nice to me and I appreciated the offer, but I denied it because I felt like I didn't deserve their kindness," Tani continues. "I still considered myself the whore and a thief. Since I wouldn't take that offer, Oshiro suggested that I come over a few times a week so I can be tutored. If I want a job, I need to be more educated with reading, spelling, and math. I did give in to that and I went over there four days a week. Long story short, Hanako and I became friends, I learned a lot of things, and I eventually was able to pick up enough money from odd jobs to constantly live in a hotel without having to go back out to the streets."

Tani tilts her head and gives me a sympathetic look. "Sorry, I didn't mean to tell you my life story. What I'm trying to get across is that I didn't get over being raped immediately. It a long time before I could stop blaming myself and making amends with what happened. However, Hanako and her family helped me out during the healing process because I opened up to them and allowed them in my life. The only thing that sucks is that the bastard that raped me will never be caught since I never got his name. But, the asshole that kidnapped us and his men were captured so that is a good first step for you."

I bite my lip and look away from Tani so she doesn't see the tears welling up in my eyes.

Tani was raped! She was actually raped and here I am feeling depressed about having my breast groped and receiving hickies! I'm such a coward!

"Hey, hey," Tani says, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay?"

I try to blink my tears away, but the tears betray me and stream down my cheek. A lump is forming in my throat and I swallow back the sob that is trying to escape.

I shake my head. "Tani, I-I wasn't raped like you think I was. I was trying to tell you that earlier." I swallow again. "I m-mean, I was still s-sexually… sexually assaulted. But-"

"There is no buts!" Tani tells me, firmly. "Whether you were raped or not, you were still sexually assaulted and that is wrong. That doesn't mean what I went through is just as bad as what you went through, Hinata."

Tani, it goes deeper than just me feeling violated and gross. There are other women and girls out there that were sold by Hayai and his men who will never be rescued. They will continue to live and be treated the way they are until they run away or die. Those people are going through much worse than what I did and I cannot help but feel so defiled. You've actually been raped, but you actually opened up and allowed others to help you out. I can't do that! I just don't operate that way! My emotions are all fucked up right now and I don't know if I should just shut down or suck it up!

….. That is what I would like to say to Tani right now. I would like to spill the beans and tell her how I am feeling. She has felt what I am feeling right now so it should be easy to open up to her. No one else has to know! Why can't I just fucking open up to her?!

Suddenly, flashbacks of Hayai and that incident flicker through my mind and my body goes clammy as my heart starts to beat fast. Panic begins to bubble in my chest and then it tightens up, causing me to suck in my breathe. I see Hayai's face again and fear and anger surges through me.

Tani gasps. "Hinata! What's wrong?"

I don't want to think about this anymore! I don't want to talk about this anymore!

"I can't… I need…"

I spring up to my feet and dash away.

I can feel Hayai on me, I can see Hayai, I think about Hayai! Why can't the bastard just leave me alone?! I just want to torture that motherfucker!

"Hinata! Stop!" I hear Kiba's voice shout from behind.

Damnit! He's faster than me and will catch up soon. Why can't he just leave me alone?! Why does everyone want to bother me?!

I ignore Kiba's calls, but that doesn't last for long because he and Akamaru are blocking my path in a matter of seconds. I barely register that they are there and try to run past them, but they get in front of me.

I halt in my tracks and clench my fists, body shaking. "Please... please, get out of my way!"

I need to see Hayai. I need to get rid of himself once and for all so I can be at peace again!

Kiba gives me a worried look. "What the hell is wrong with you, Hinata? You need to calm down. You're making your hand even worse."

Something clicks in my head and my body freezes as I widen my eyes.

Yes, Hinata. You need to calm down. You are still on a mission and you are the team leader; the only Chunin on your squad. You can't start acting irrational. You can't let Hayai have this sort of control on you.

But, it's so damn hard!

At this point, Tani, Shino, and Hanako have all caught up and are surrounding me. Shino appears expressionless behind his shades while Hanako and Tani look worried for me.

I wipe my tears away. "I'm sorry. I just need to be alone right now. Excuse me."

I ignore the looks of concern as I run past the four them and over the hill towards town.

Hayai is so fucking lucky. I almost snapped back there if Kiba hadn't stopped me. I was seriously about to find Hayai and get my revenge. If I had done that, my capability of being a leader would probably be questioned. We still need to get information out of Hayai and his men, and there is a glimmer of hope that maybe he'll tell us the whereabouts of all the women and girls he has sold off. I can't just go rogue and go after him no matter how much he deserves it. Plus, he is a Shinobi from Kaminari no Kuni. Kumogakure will probably want him back once we are done detaining and questioning him.

Still, at this moment, I feel like I won't feel better until I personally have my revenge on him. I know going down on the path of revenge is the wrong path to take, and I am currently trying to keep Sasuke from going down that path, but it is so tempting. This just sounds like such a good idea. I can be a hypocrite just this one time, right?

No, I can't act like Sasuke. I can't push my friends away when they are concerned about me just because I don't want to open up to them. That's easier said than done because I can easily hide my emotions in most cases so others don't worry about me. I'm the one that usually helps others and give out advice. I don't want to be on the receiving end and feeling weak and pitied.

At least Tani's story gives me some hope. After awhile, she seemed to have moved on from what happened and was able to be happy again. Maybe once this mission ends, I will be able to get over this after some time passes. For now, I should just focus on controlling my thoughts and emotions and finishing this mission. If I start getting upset about Hayai, I will just remove myself from others and calm myself down before it escalates. I don't want anybody else to see me almost lose control like that again. I don't like this side of me and I hate thinking these dark thoughts.

I let out a frustrated sigh.

You know, I was never like this in my old life. I mean, I still have my same personality. But, I was more open with my feelings when I was upset or angry; just like any normal human. Although, I never experienced the things I have in this life like I did in my first one.

I guess being a Hyūga is a blessing and a curse. As a Shinobi, I am glad I was taught growing up to control my emotions because having them go wild during missions can become a bad thing. That is how I have been able to remain rational during dire situations and come up with logical ways in getting out of them. However, as a human being, it really sucks having to keep all of this negative feelings in. As I can see now, it seems I have reached my capacity and I am a ticking time bomb; waiting to burst at any moment. Crying, screaming, and unleashing all of my emotions alone doesn't comfort me. I want the warmth and support from my friends to help me through this tough time, even when I'm usually the one extending my hand out to them.

Maybe if I wasn't in the position as a leader, I could have a quick breakdown and let Kiba and Shino know what is going on and then move on. I'm just going to have to wait until I get home and vent to Sasuke. I am just as close to Naruto as I am to Sasuke, but I just want someone to be quite and listen. Sasuke can do that. Naruto will listen, but he will also voice his opinion on finding this guy and beating the shit out of him. Sasuke will feel the same way, but he won't voice it out loud.

When I get back to the hotel, I'm going to bed.

* * *

The smell of food awakenings me from my deep slumber. I groggily sit up in my bed and stretch.

I actually got to sleep during this nap since I didn't have any nightmares, so I'm feeling refreshed right now. Still feeling crappy as well, though.

"Sorry, Hinata," I hear Kiba mumble. "We didn't mean to wake you up."

I drop my arms and open my eyes to darkness. The room is completely dark, with the exception of the dim light coming from the hallway from the open door. I turn my head to look out the window and I am shocked to see the moon.

I've been asleep this whole time?! That was more than just a damn nap!

"You can turn on the light," I say as they come in and close the door behind them. "You don't need to be walking around in the dark."

As soon as I finish saying that, I quickly shield my eyes to protect them from the impending light. Kiba switches on the lightswitch and I move my hand away to see they carrying a small box. I arch an eyebrow and I am about to ask them where they went to eat when my stomach drops.

Crap! Oshiro invited to his house tonight for dinner and I slept through it!

"We brought you some food about from Oshiro's whenever you get hungry," Kiba tells me as he sets down the box on the nightstand next to me.

I watch him as he sets Akamaru down on his bed and goes into the bathroom. As soon as he shuts the door, I look over at Shino. "I don't like this Kiba. He's acting like a dog with his tail tucked between his legs."

Shino raises his eyebrows. "In his defense, he's just trying to respect your feelings."

I huff and lower my eyes. "I know. I'm… I'm sorry for the scene I caused earlier and for missing Oshiro's dinner. I hope you guys aren't mad that I skipped out, especially Tani, Hanako, and her parents."

Shino shakes his head. "Nobody is mad at you, Hinata. You have something going on and you would rather to just keep it to yourself. We understand."

So, Tani didn't tell them why I was acting up earlier. Good.

I sigh. "Thank you."

Shino nods. "Although, you did miss where Oshiro asked Tani to come live with them and be apart of his family."

I gasp. "He did? What did she say?"

"He said he would not accept no as an answer. However, after everything that just happened and all that they've done for her, Tani accepted his offer and has already moved in."

I smile. "That's great. I'm really happy for her."

Tani finally has a family now and somewhere that she can call home. She's only sixteen. She can still learn from her past and have a better life from this day on.

Kiba walks out of the bathroom and looks over at me. "You haven't touched the food. Not hungry?"

I shrug. "I'll eat later after I wake up some more. Right now, I want to apologize to you. I already did to Shino so-"

Kiba raises up a hand. "Don't apologize. You have nothing to apologize for. You haven't done anything wrong. If anything, I should be saying sorry to you for keeping on bothering you so much when you didn't want to talk."

"No, that would be stupid," I say. "I know you're just looking out for me, but I'm just not ready to talk about it. But, Shino told me you all understand and respect my wishes. So, you don't have to treat me like I'm fragile or anything. I'll cheer up soon enough."

Kiba blinks at my words and then smirks. "Good, because I missed teasing ya."

I return Kiba's smirk with a small smile. "How about you hold off on the teasing and take a shower. You smell like a dirty mutt."

Kiba pouts. "I was suppose to have the first jab."

"Bite me, mongrel."

"How original."

I let out a chuckle, but it almost sounds forced.

I didn't know it would be this hard to fake a good mood. But, if it eases their minds then I need to continue up the act until the mission is over with. I don't need them to be worrying about me and acting like I'm going to have a breakdown any second. That makes me look bad as a leader.

* * *

The next day came and went without any breakdowns happening. Kiba and Shino went to go interrogate Hayai again while I went to see what Tani and Hanako are up to. I still cannot bring myself to be in the presence of Hayai and Kiba and Shino understood that, even though they don't know what is going on. However, it makes me feel like shit to not go because I feel like I am letting them down as a leader and I know I should be going.

I found Tani and Hanako out their house and we all went to the beach together. This time around, I actually enjoyed myself a bit. I played in the water, collected some seashells, and Tani never brought up our talk from yesterday so I wasn't triggered. When we went back to town for a late lunch, we met up with Shino and Kiba. They informed us that they still didn't get anything out of him and we will probably just have to let Konoha handle the three of them once we get back.

After lunch we walked the girls back to their house, and that is when we found a little surprise waiting on us once we went inside.

"Long time no see, Hinata!" Lee greets me with a flashing grin, appearing almost out of nowhere.

I blink at him in surprise. "Uh, hey, Lee. What are you doing here?"

"We are here to help you all escort the criminals back to Konoha," Neji tells us as he and Tenten round the corner to enter the living room.

Why is Team Guy here to help us out? Did Tsunade not think our Team could handle it? What did Shino and Kiba say in their report that made her think we couldn't bring them back ourselves? Okay, I really shouldn't be so offended with the way I have been feelings and acting. But, still. I didn't even know we were going to escort them back to Konoha.

Kiba crosses his arms. "We would have handled taking those three back without outside help."

Tenten narrows her eyes at Kiba. "Tsunade-sama ordered us to come down and help you guys. You must've had some difficulty if she called us to help you out."

"Besides," Lee chimes in. "Guy-sensei is here with us so Tsunade must have a good reason to be sending us out here."

Yeah, Shino and Kiba totally said something about me during their report. They probably sensed that I was acting weird or that something had happened to me once I was kidnapped.

Ugh.

I clasp my hands together. "Well, I'm grateful that you guys came to help us. We probably needed for the way back. This group of rogue Shinobi are pretty strong."

Kiba arches an eyebrow. "Speaking of which, how the hell are we taking these guys back to Konoha without them putting up a fight? I didn't even know we were going to take them back with us."

"That is a great question, Kiba!" Guy booms as he rounds the corner with Oshiro, Hanako, and Tani.

Is everyone just hiding in the other room and popping in when it is their cue? Who is going to come out next?

"Oshiro has arranged a caravan to transport the enemy from here to Konoha," Guy continues. "They will be completely sealed within with chakra bindings and seals while we watch over them. They will only be allowed out for short breaks one at a time and be supervised by me, but they will still be binded."

My heart skips a few beats.

They will be allowed out for breaks? That means Hayai will be out and about? What if he manages to break out of the bindings and escapes? He is very strong and fast.

"Are you sure that is a good idea?" I question. "I mean, they will only be sealed in for a couple days."

Guy gives me an odd look, as if he wasn't expecting to say something like that. "Even though they are the bad guys, they are still human beings and have needs. We cannot take those away from them."

Anger flares up in me, but I bite my lip to control my emotions.

Those motherfuckers don't deserve anything! They deserve to have everything taken away from them! But, now is not the time to freak out again.

"I do need to tell you something," Shino says to Guy. "We haven't been able to extract any information from the Hayai. I am assuming the necessary methods will take place once we get back to Konoha to retrieve the information out of theme. What is going to happen once we are done with them? Are they going back to Kumogakure since they are rogue Shinobi from there?"

Guy nods. "Yes, that is what will most likely happen."

I notice Neji tense up and an uneasy feeling passes through me.

So, Kumo Shinobi are going to come to Konoha to pick up Hayai and his men? That makes sense, but I don't know how my clan is going to feel about that. Kumo Shinobi have already tried to kidnap me a couple of times now, once when I was three and an attempt was made at the Chunin Exams. Who is to say they will not try to take this opportunity again? Especially if they find out that I was apart of this mission and fought with Hayai.

But, Guy didn't exactly say they were coming to Konoha to retrieve him. Maybe a group is going to meet them at a halfway point or something.

"Well, when are we leaving, then?" Kiba asks, breaking the silence. "I like this place, but I'm not used to the smell of the ocean so it gets overwhelming at times for me."

Akamaru whines in agreement.

"We are going to head out first thing in the morning," Guy replies. "I'm going to personally see if I can get anything out of them before we head off."

Kiba huffs. "I don't see how you can when we've tried a few times now."

Lee widens his eyes. "Do not underestimate Guy-sensei!"

Guy places a hand on his star pupil's shoulder. "Now, Lee. I am sure he did not mean it that way."

Lee turns to Guy with tears in his eyes. "But, Guy-sensei!"

Guy wraps Lee in his arms. "It is alright, Lee. I know you are looking out for me, but it is just fine."

Everyone in the room sweatdrops and Kiba mumbles. "Get a room."

Shino gives his teammate a look and I cover my face in embarrassment.

Ughhhhhhh. Do they really have to act like this in front of everyone?

After leaving Oshiro's place, Guy heads off to the prison while the eight of us head back to the hotel. Since they hotel is completely booked, Team Guy is just going to share our hotel room and their boys are going to sleep on the floor while Tenten shares a bed with me. After relaxing a bit and letting Team Guy settle in, Tani and Hanako leads us down to the beach so Tenten, Neji, and Lee can enjoy it.

"I challenge everyone to a race!" Lee shouts once we reach the top of the hill. "Last one to the water has to do 100 laps up and down the beach on their hands!"

Tenten rolls her eyes. "Lee, nobody is-"

"It's on!" Kiba yells as he gets in a starting position.

"Tenten! Tell us when to go!" Lee says as he bends down, too.

Tenten pinches her nose and stands in between them. "Ready, set, go!"

The two of them take off and rush towards the water while the rest of us leisurely make our way down.

"Does Bushy Brows always act like that?" Tani asks.

"Tani, be nice!" Hanako scolds.

"Hey, I have a friend who calls him Bushy Brows," I comment.

Tani gives Hanako a smug look. "See, they approve of me."

"To answer your question, yes he is always like that," Tenten sighs. "But, it isn't always annoying I will admit."

"Oh, I don't find it annoying," Tani says. "I think he's funny."

"Lee's funny?" Tenten repeats. "I mean, his antics are silly, but he doesn't act like that to make everyone laugh. He's really like that."

Tani shrugs. "Hmm, it's whatever. I'm just saying what I think."

Tenten gives her a strange look. "Oh, um, okay."

Uh, did I miss something?

We reach the bottom of the hill and catch up with Lee and Kiba.

"It looks like I have won, Kiba," Lee says.

"Argh, I want a rematch!" Kiba says back.

"How about I do the laps with you?" Lee suggests. "I can always use the extra training."

Kiba widens his eyes. "You voluntarily want to go up and down the beach hundred times on your hands? Is that even possible?"

Lee sticks out his thumb. "Anything is possible if you push hard enough." He gets on the ground and lifts himself up with his hands. "Now, come on! Let's go!"

He takes off without waiting on Kiba, leaving him in a cloud of dust. Kiba shakes his head and gets himself in a handstand.

"The shit I get myself into," he mumbles to himself before walking off to catch up with Lee.

"Well, while they are doing that, I'm going to dip my toes in the water," Tenten says and wanders off.

I glance over at Neji. "You wanna go join her with me?"

"Actually, I want to have a private moment with you," Neji replies and then looks over at Tani and Hanako. They instantly take the hint and hurry over to join Tenten.

We both sit on the sand and I ask, "What do you want to talk about?"

"You're different," Neji says and I resist the urge to flinch.

Damn, he has me me figured out already?

I arch an eyebrow. "I don't know what you are talking about, Neji. I'm fine."

Neji gives me a sharp look. "Hinata, you know better than to lie like that to a Hyūga. We've been trained to read others. You were acting strange earlier when you were opposing the choice of allowing the enemy any breaks. You showed anger after Guy's response."

I narrow my eyes. "Well, were you told about what Hayai and his men did?" Neji nods. "Then, you know better than I do that they don't deserve any freedom. Spending a couple of days sealed up won't hurt them."

"I wholeheartedly agree with you, but even criminals are supposed to receive somewhat decent treatment," Neji tells me. "It is the law that we cannot deprive them of their basic needs."

I tense up. "Neji, we are Shinobi. Part of our job is to murder people. Isn't that against the law, too? Certain things can be overlooked." Neji opens his mouth to argue, but I cut him off. "Now, I know you are right. We need to follow mission protocol and not go rogue on anything. I still need to act as a leader. I'm just voicing how I am feeling since you said I was acting strange."

"I know," Neji says. "I still feel like there is more going on. You aren't telling me the whole truth."

I cross my arms. "You're right, but I don't want to tell you the whole truth. I haven't told anyone else, no matter how much they've kept badgering me about it."

Well, I told Tani. But, he doesn't have to know that just yet. But, it sounds like Tsunade didn't inform them about my odd behavior if Neji is questioning me about it if Shino and Kiba did report about it.

Neji looks at me hard for a few seconds and then says, "Well, if they've sensed something was off with you and you have not opened up to them, then I am not going to push any further. I just want to let you know that you can come to me and talk if you need to."

I nod. "Thank you, Neji."

Well, I'm glad he didn't push any further because I was starting to get upset. I'm glad everyone has my back, but I'm just not ready to fully open up. I tried with Tani and it didn't end well. It is just crazy that Neji's question could be solved if he just activated his Byakugan and notice all the bruises and hickeys. We would be able to easily put two and two together. If he has to activate his Byakugan for any reason on our back to Konoha, I hope he doesn't focus on me for some reason. I would hate to see his reaction if find out the truth when Hayai is still in our hands.

But, we are leaving tomorrow and Hayai will be away from me in a few days. Let's just hope these next few days go by very fast without any problems.

 **Author's Note: I AM NOT DEAD! I have just been really busy! College... full time job... preparing to move out on my own... writing my own book... other things. Basically life. Things should calm down by next month and I should have more time to write. I haven't gave up on this fanfic, trust me! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	43. Chapter 43: The Search and Rescue Arc

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **The Search and Rescue Arc**

 **Chapter forty-three**

"I don't know how many times I can thank you three for saving my daughter and Tani," Oshiro says as he and his family bows towards us.

We are standing at the front gate of Iwazaki and preparing to leave as everyone is saying their goodbyes to us. Oshiro has arranged a caravan to seal in the enemies while we travel. The seals that were placed on the caravan prevent sound from traveling in or out so we don't have to hear any yelling from them if they get bored or something.

"There's no need to do that," Kiba tells him. "It's just a good thing they are back safe and sound."

"If you guys ever want to visit the beach again, just come here, let us know you're in town, and we'll arrange a place for you to stay," Jin chimes in. "All on us."

I give her a little nod. "I might just take you up on that deal. The beach was beautiful. Thank you."

Suddenly, Tani takes few step forward and wraps her arms around me to pull me into a hug. "You will get through this," she whispers into my ear.

I hope I get through this soon.

I give her a hug back and thank her. She pulls back, gives me a sincere smile, and then walks back over to her new family.

"Alright, Team Guy!" Guy holrs. "You all ready to go?"

"What about Team Hinata?" Kiba teases.

Guy sticks out his thumb and flashes a nice guy smile. "This is a new mission now where I am the leader so you three are also apart of Team Guy! Congratulations!"

Kiba sweatdrops. "No way…"

"Yes!" Lee cheers.

Kiba shifts his eyes over towards Lee. "What are you so happy about?"

"I just think that everyone should have the chance to be apart of Team Guy at least once in their Shinobi life!" Lee explains.

Kiba looks over at Neji and Tenten. "Is he serious? He's not serious right? Because I'm knocking him out if he is."

"I'm leaving," Neji replies and walks towards the caravan.

Kiba huffs. "He needs to get that stick out of his ass, jerk."

Neji's the jerk? You were just threatening to beat up Lee, Kiba...

I pat Kiba's shoulder. "Let's just calm down and leave. We got a long day ahead of us."

We wave goodbye to everyone, the man hired to drive the caravan snaps his reigns towards his oxes, and we walk through the gates.

Since we are traveling this slow by foot, it is going to take about three days to get back to Konoha instead of a day and a half. Our new mission is to guard the caravan and prevent the enemy from harming the civilian and escaping. With Team Guy here, I am pretty confident we can handle our own if Hayai and his men somehow escape and rear them back in to seal them. My only concern is how I would react if I see Hayai's face again. Will I freeze up? Will I have a breakdown? Will I just snap and try my best to kill him? Not knowing how I would react frightens me.

"The plan is this," Guy begins to say, snapping me out of my thoughts. "We will travel into the afternoon and stop for a short break. I will undo the seals and accompany the enemy one by one so they may eat, drink, and relieve themselves. Even though they will still be sealed up while I am gone, Tenten, Lee, and Neji will be watching the two remaining enemies while Kiba, Hinata, and Shino will keep as lookout. Once each inmate has had their break, we can take our own break for a few minutes. After that, we will travel until the sunsets and then we will stop for the night. Each day will be like this until we arrive back in Konoha. Now, if this fine gentlemen needs to personally take a break for any reason that is fine. We will stop. During the night, we will take shifts in twos when watching over the camp, with me watching alone. We can determine the pairs and order later tonight. Does anyone have any questions?"

"Shouldn't we come up with a plan for if those guys do somehow breakout?" Kiba asks. "You already know everything about them, so you know they are quick and strong. Especially the leader."

Guy nods. "That is a great question, Kiba. No, we do not have to come up with a plan."

I give him a baffled look. "What? Why?"

Guy grins. "Just put your faith in me and everything will be A-okay!"

Ugh, no plan? That's crazy! Guy must really trust those seals to keep those bastards in. If they did breakfree, I suppose he could easily round them up and defeat them by using the Eight Gates.

"I have a question," Shino says. "Did you manage to get any information yesterday?"

Guy shakes his head. "Unfortunately, no."

"Hmmm," Shino grunts. "That's frustrating."

"It is, indeed," Guy agrees. "That is why we are turning them over to Konoha once we get back so they can use their proper procedures to get the information we need."

"I just feel like we didn't fully complete our mission if we weren't able to get any information out of them and we needed backup to escort them back home," Kiba complains.

"Ah, but you did complete your mission the moment you rescued those girls and detained the enemy," Guy tells Kiba. "That is a great accomplishment and you three should be proud of yourselves."

I know I should feel proud of myself. This is my second successful mission as a leader and as a Chunin. But, it is kind of hard to feel proud right now with the way I am feeling, plus I understand what Kiba is saying.

Speaking of which…

"Hey, Kiba," I whisper into his ear after Guy determined that question time was over with. "What exactly did you and Shino write in your message to Tsunade-sama?"

Kiba rests his hands behind his head and looks up into the sky to think. "We just mentioned everything that has happened on the mission up until the point of writing the letter."

I sigh. "Did you… did you mention anything specifically about me?"

Kiba cuts his eyes over towards me. "Like I said, we mentioned everything that has happened on the mission up until the point of writing the letter." I open my mouth to speak, but he cuts me off. "And, yes, we mentioned your change of attitude after the events that took place on the ship. We wrote reasons why you may be acting that way, but we told her that you weren't't opening up to anybody."

I simply nod in response and then lower my eyes.

Maybe the reason Tsunade sent Guy and his team is because she thought I was too emotionally compromised to lead my team back to Konoha with Hayai and his men. I wonder if she's going to have a talk with me once we get back? Would she revoke my Chunin status? Would I remain a Chunin, but be suspended from leading another mission?

No, don't think like that. You are heading back to Konoha on another successful mission. Why would she do any of that? I'm sure other Shinobi in charge have acted way worse than me before and still kept their status.

But, maybe I should have a talk with her. She's a female and probably has gone through, or knows of someone who has gone through, the same thing I experienced.

"Hinata, stop beating yourself up," Kiba mumbles, as if he could read my thoughts, and I glance over at him. "You're a great leader and did fine on this mission. So, just stop."

A warm sensation fills my heart and I find myself smiling at my teammate. "Thank you, Kiba, for knocking some sense into me."

Kiba raises his eyebrows. "You sure don't know the meaning of knocking the sense into someone." He gives me a cocky grin. "I can really show you if you like."

I tilt my head back and a genuine chuckle spills out. "You can try, but you'll only end up failing."

"Tch, what does that suppose to mean? Are you underestimating me?"

I wave my hand. "Use your imagine."

Kiba scowls and looks away, but I know it is all for show. I look ahead and notice that my body feels a bit more relaxed.

* * *

The rest of the day goes by pretty smooth. My team watches over the area while Team Guy handles Hayai and his two men as they have their breaks. To make the time pass as we travel, Lee and Guy entertains us with their usual antics while I mingle with the others.

"Tenten, I have a question," I ask.

Tenten raises her eyebrow. "Hm? What is it?"

"That scythe that you used against me during our match at the Chunin Exams, where did you get it?"

Tenten tilts her head to the side. "Guy-sensei bought it for me from a weapons shop as a gift once he enrolled us in the Chunin Exams. Why?"

Why? I should be asking why. Why was Hidan's weapon allowed to be sold in a shop? I guess it is just like any other weapon at the end of the day… when it isn't connected to any of Jashin's rituals. I wonder if she knows the backstory of her weapon.

I shudder. "I was just thinking it was a pretty neat weapon."

Tenten gives me a suspicious glance. "Your reaction right now doesn't convince me that you think it is neat."

I ignore her comment and change the subject.

"I think you and Neji should participate in Lee's and Guy-sensei's cartwheel race. You guys are a team. You know, all for one and one for all?"

"Hell, no!"

Every so often I would cut my eyes over towards the caravan just to settle rising nerves and tell myself that Hayai is still locked up.

* * *

After walking all day, we decide to stop for the night once we see the sun starting to set.

"Same as before, you three keep a lookout of the area while we take our captives out for their breaks," Guy reminds us. "After all of that is taken care of then we will set up camp and dinner."

"Yes, sir!" we all say in unison and split up to fulfill our roles.

I activate my Byakugan and begin to scan the area. "Everything looks clear as of now."

Kiba yawns and leans against the caravan. "You should just save your chakra. Nobody is going to ambush eight Shinobi."

I look down at Akamaru, who is taking his watch seriously unlike his master, and smile. "Its nice that you see Akamaru as an equal."

Kiba snorts. "Well, yeah. He's my best friend."

I look over at Shino. "Do you view your insects the same way Kiba does with Akamaru?"

Shino nods. "Deeper, in fact. Since I use my body as a host for them to live in, we are practically one. We can sense each other's feelings, when we are hungry, sleepy, and-"

Kiba's face grows pale. "Er, I think we get it, Shino."

I lightly smack Kiba's arm. "Don't interrupt him! That's rude."

"Yes, it is rude to interrupt a person when they are speaking, Kiba," Shino says. "Why? First off, it hurts their feelings and makes them feel unimportant or unwelcome. Second, when-"

"You guys, help us!" I hear Tenten's voice suddenly yell from behind.

We spin around and I notice Lee and Tenten struggling to hold down the two Rogue Shinobi about 20 yards away.

What the hell is going on? Where is Neji, Guy, and Hayai? How were they able to escape?!

We rush over towards the direction of Lee and Tenten. As we approach them, the guy Tenten is holding down suddenly overwhelms her and shoves her away. He springs to punch her and she holds up her arm to defend herself, kunai in hand facing the enemy. Tenten gets hit in the face, but the kunai slashes the man's hand in the process. As she falls to the ground, the man grabs his hand as blood starts to drip out of the wound. While distracted, Kiba gets behind him and pins his arms behind his head to allow me to strike his chakra points in his legs to keep from running away. Instantly, the guy's legs give him and he falls to the ground.

"What the hell happened?" Kiba questions Lee and Tenten as they tie the two men back up with the chakra binds. "You guys were supposed to be watching them!"

"We honestly don't know!" Tenten shoots back. "Guy-sensei and Neji were taking Hayai away to let him have his break while we watched these two. Suddenly, he comes out of nowhere, knocks Lee and I out of the way, and frees his men. Before we could do anything, Guy-sensei appears and chases him away from us and, now, I think he and Neji are out there trying to capture him."

I start to shake as an eerie feeling creeps through my body. "No, that's impossible…" I mumble. "Those chakra binds and seals were meant to keep them restricted… Guy-sensei said everything was going to be so "A-okay" that we didn't need a plan if they somehow broke free! Now, they are free and Hayai has probably escaped!"

Kiba clamps a hand on my shoulder as Lee and Tenten exchange looks. "Hinata, chill out. It isn't the time for our leader to be freaking out."

I ignore his comment as I expand my vision to search for Hayai, Guy, and Neji. Within seconds, I spot the three. Hayai and Guy seem to be going at it in quick blurs while Neji stands on the sidelines, watching for a moment to strike with his Byakugan.

I shrug Kiba off of me. "I found them. They are southwest from here. Tenten, Shino, and Lee, you two stay here. Kiba, you are coming with me."

"Are you sure you can handle facing Hayai?" Kiba questions.

"I don't know," I admit. "But, I do know that we need to help capture him."

I create a Shadow Clone and then expand my vision until I find the others- Guy and Hayai are going at it in mere blurs as Neji watches from a distance with his Byakugan- and we take off in that direction.

"What's the situation?" Kiba asks.

"Guy-sensei and Hayai are fighting as Neji is watching it with his Byakugan," I explain. "He must be helping him out by watching his movement since he can't keep up."

"I still don't understand how that guy is so ridiculously fast," Kiba mumbles.

"Guy-sensei is quick, too, but even he is barely keeping up with him," I say. Well, without tapping into his Inner Gates. "We just need to group up with Neji to help trap Hayai. Since he has the most interest in me, I can be the decoy and then he can be captured while he's distracted."

"There's nothing wrong with being the decoy, but what if he manages to grab you and take off?" Kiba wonders.

I hope I don't freak out.

I hope I don't freak out and kill him.

I hope Guy-sensei saves me.

I plaster on a smirk. "I'm hurt that you underestimate me so much that you would think I would allow for that to happen."

Kiba does a double take and then snorts. "Tch, don't cry for help if he does, then."

As we approach the battlefield, I send my Shadow Clone off to hide and we group up with Neji to quickly inform him of my plan. Then, we split up and I head towards Hayai, using my vision to find the perfect opening to enter.

Why is he so damn fast? I can only keep up with his speed with my Byakugan and thanks to his surging chakra presence… there!

A split second open makes itself known and I rush in to hurl a kunai with an explosive tag attached to it at him. It strikes a tree nearby and he changes course as it detonates. Already predicting his movements, I jump behind him and extend out my palm to perform the Gentle Fist. He zips out of the way and then I find myself being pinned towards a tree, the wood underneath splintering from the harsh impact.

"Coming out to play, eh?" Hayai purrs into my ear. "I knew you were just playing hard to get. How about we get on outta here and continue where we left off last time, hm?"

My stomach churns at his comments and my body begins to shake as I try to push him off of me. "Let go!"

The man just flashes his yellow teeth, grabs a hold of my wrist, and I am flying through the air just as he evades Kiba's and Akamaru's Fang Over Fang. We land in the thicker brush of another tree and he crouches down, forcing me to hide low with him.

"Don't think I'm stupid. I know that you're only distracting me," Hayai growls, jerking me closer and caresses my cheek. "It looks like your face is healing up, which is good for a pretty face like yours. Nobody likes to screw around with a fucked up bitch." He raises his hand towards my jacket. "Now, I hope that my marks aren't healing. Others need to know you're taken."

I shudder and slap his hand away. I open my mouth to say something, but fear causes me to choke.

Was Kiba right to question me? Was I ready to face Hayai?

Suddenly, Kiba and Akamaru come charging in, again, and Hayai hurries out of the way. The two rotate around the tree to continue their pursuit on Hayai. Realizing this, he slings onto a nearby branch, creates a series of hand signs in mid-air, and then brings his arms back. Two blue discharges begin to form at the palms of Hayai's hands, making a loud crackling sound. The blue lightning shoots out of his palms, but the attack does not go after Kiba and Akamaru. Instead, he manipulates the lightning bolts to start striking at random spots, detering the two to change courses each time to avoid getting hit. Then, he directs the last stream of lightning directly towards Kiba and Akamaru, cuts off the connection, and grabs me to flee. An explosion erupts behind me and I see that the sudden change of attack did hit the duo. They immediately stop spinning and crash into the branch we were just on.

I don't get much time to worry about them when Guy comes in from the left by throwing a kunai towards Hayai. Focusing on the kunai, he grabs it and hurls it back at a blinding speed. Somehow, Guy manages to catch it and three throw more. This time, Hayai merely dodges it and continues to hop through the tree. Sensing what Guy is about to do, I help out by struggling and sending out mini chakra blasts to distract Hayai, despite already proving in a previous fight that they have little effect on him. He looks down to hold onto me tighter and then our speed as he grunts and we fall into the trees thanks to Guy'sDynamic Entry to the back of the head.

Even as we hit every branch and tree as we fall, Hayai mananges to trap me in his arm so I have to endure every hit with him. We finally crash to the ground and the air gets knocked out of me from the sudden impact. I start to get light-headed and nauseous from going to a high-speed to a rough landing and swallow several time to prevent from vomiting. Just as Hayai comes to his senses and stands up to run, Neji darts out and bounces him back with a Rotation. Hayai stumbles, but doesn't fall this time, with me still in his grip.

Damn, let go already!

Neji charges forwards to strike with the Gentle Fist, but Hayai easily evades his attack and starts to rush off when a sudden smoke disrupts him focus. I find myself standing behind Hayai and see that he is holding onto my Shadow Clone. To finish off my plan, Neji and I both get into our stances and then we start striking Hayai in various places with our Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms.

The Shadow Clone disappears from being hit and Hayai crumbles to the ground from being unable to stand anymore. As he does so, Guy joins the scene and begins to restrict Hayai with chakra binds.

"Looks like your plan worked," Neji says to me but I don't respond as I just stare at Hayai in a mixture of hatred and horror.

Shit… shit… shit… I totally went overboard on that last attack!

As if on cue, Hayai's spits up some blood and begins to convulse, going into cardiac arrest as his internal organs starts to shut down.

Neji widens his eyes. "You were only supposed to block his chakra points and knock him out, Hinata!"

I take a step back. "I… I… We can't reverse the damage?"

Why are you even asking that? You already know the answer to that and, now, you done fucked up by giving in to your emotions!

"It's already too late," Guy answers, shaking his head. "He's already dying."

Yep. Totally fucked up. He was a possible source to tell us where the other people he's kidnap are at and we could've saved them. Now, we have a dead informant and a potential conflict with Kumogakure since Guy said they were sending Shinobi out to retrieve him after interrogation.

However, as I watch Hayai suffering and slowly losing his life I don't feel too bad about my actions. In fact, I'm enjoying the fact this bastard is dying a painful death.

I can worry about the backlash later.

I'm so entranced with watching Hayai die that I don't notice Kiba stomping up and grabbing my arm. He whirls me around and starts to shake me.

"Hinata! I asked you if you were okay with all of this!" Kiba shouts.

How does he know what happened? Neji must've told him while I was engrossed with Hayai.

Suddenly, my vision is blurred and my cheek begins to burn.

"Get that smirk off your face, Hinata!"

"Kiba!" Neji growls, grabbing his arms and pulling him back.

Stunned, I raise a hand to my face. Kiba just slapped me… was I really smiling this whole time?

Anger flares up in me, but not at myself but towards Kiba. Clenching my fists, I glare at my teammate. "You should be happy that I killed that bastard!"

"You could've gone off and killed him after we had him interrogated!" Kiba yells. "Shino and I spent all that time trying to get something out of him only to leave to the professionals at Konoha to finish the job and you go and screw it up!"

Tears prick at my eyes as my rage continues to grow. "He deserved to die!"

"Fuck, Hinata! Nobody's ever said that he didn't!"

"That's enough, you two!" Guy snaps, getting in between us. "Neji, take Kiba back with the others and assist them if needed. Hinata and I will be back with Hayai's body in a minute."

Neji obeys Kiba and they both leave without giving me a passing glance. Watching them walk away causes me to freeze up as guilt starts to override the anger inside me. I cover my mouth just as a sob forces itself out of my mouth and I hang my head to hide the tears running down my face.

I fucked up… I totally fucked up this whole mission.

"Hinata," Guy calls out in a stern voice, but I don't look at him as he speaks. "You killing the enemy is very detrimental to the mission."

"I-I already know that!" I exclaim and then whirl around to face him. "But, you said that everything would be just fine and that we didn't need a plan if they had broke free! None of this would've happened if we had already taken precautions!"

Guy narrows his eyes. "I only said everything would be okay if you all just put your faith in me. We didn't need a plan if they had escaped because I could've handled Hayai on my own. Precautions were already set up when I divided the six of you to take on different jobs during breaks. The only thing I didn't see coming was Hayai having enough chakra to break free even after spending all that time restrained. But, I assume you rounded up the other two Shinobi while I was dealing with Hayai, and Neji came along on his own will in an attempt to help me out. Him coming forced me to change up my tactics a bit so Hayai wouldn't target him, but I was just getting him further away from Neji before I truly fought him."

So, this whole thing isn't totally my fault? Neji had apart in screwing up the mission, too… No! Don't even think like that! Neji just went to help his sensei like any student would and I killed Hayai! Those mess ups cannot be compared!

Guy's continues on. "Perhaps I could have been more clearer with how to handle this situation, but you were selected to be the leader of this mission before my team was ever involved. You were in charge of completing the mission and making appropriate decisions. While your plan succeeded in capturing Hayai, it fails in the end because you gave in to your emotions and desires over what was important for the mission."

Dammit, this is why I suppress my emotions because I know something like this would happen one day!

I breakaway from Guy's gaze and look over at Hayai, who is barely breathing, now. "W-What's going to happen to me?"

"That is up for Tsunade-sama to decide," Guy tells me. "You completed the mission given, but you failed the mission to bring back all three men alive."

A failed mission?! I went through all of that shit with Hayai just come back to Konoha and have a failed mission on my record? Not only that, but so will everyone else and it's all my fault!

"I-I'm sorry," I choke out.

Guy walks over to Hayai. "Let's just get him back to the others and keep moving. We still have a lot of distance to cover before it grows dark."

Guy must be really upset with me since he hasn't said at least one comforting word towards me or acknowledged my apology like he normally would.

Following his lead, I help lift Hayai's body and we head back to the caravan.

* * *

The rest of the trip back to Konoha was an unpleasant one. Tenten, Lee, and Shino didn't know how to react once they heard that I killed Hayai and didn't speak much too me the remainder of the way home, making polite comments to me here and there. Kiba totally avoided me with Akamaru giving me the occasional sad glance, and Neji stayed by side as I lingered in the back. However, we didn't converse much.

Being excluded wasn't very fun, but it gave me time to gather my thoughts and reflect. While a part of me is happy is that I killed Hayai and doesn't regret, another part of me does regret it because I screwed up the rest of the mission and any future interrogation. I'm dreading Tsunade's reaction once she hears what I had done, but I am willing to accept any consequences without protest.

Once we arrive at Konoha, three ANBUs greet us at the gate to take the men in. Guy explains the reason for why Hayai is dead and then we make our way to Tsunade's office after they leave. We are allowed into her office and we spend the next hour reporting the mission. Throughout the meeting, Tsunade doesn't express much emotion when hearing about how I was kidnapped, the vague details I gave about my interaction with him, and when I killed Hayai until the end.

"Kiba, Shino, and Hinata, it will be documented that you were successful in finding the missing girls," Tsunade explains to us. "However, the three of you and Team Guy have failed in bringing all three captives back alive so that will be documented, as well. If that is all you want to report then you all are dismissed." She shifts her eyes over towards me. "Except for you, Hinata."

Nobody peeps a word to be as they leave the room and I begin to grow nervous once I am finally alone with Tsunade. As soon as the last person closes the door, she lets out a long sigh and rubs her face.

"Hinata, I expected better from you," she grumbles. "I would've thought somebody like Kiba would've lost their cool and compromise the mission before you ever would."

I lower my eyes. "I know I messed up badly. I let my emotions get the best of me and I am terribly sorry."

Tsunade stares at me for a moment before saying, "Don't think I didn't notice the ill-defined description you gave me when it was mentioned that your were kidnapped. Care to elaborate for me?"

I tense up and continue to stare at the floor.

Hayai is dead, now, so I don't feel as bound to him anymore. But, I still don't feel comfortable going into detail about what happened to me. However, maybe Tsunade will understand my reasoning for killing Hayai if I told her, even though it won't justify it. She is a female, and has been on numerous missions so maybe she has experienced something that I've been through. Even though I'm most likely going to receive some punishment for killing Hayai, I wouldn't mind some advice on how to cope with this and from preventing being sexually assaulted, again.

Finally coming to a decision, I take a deep breath and begin to tell her all that I went through. By the time I am finished, I find myself crying and shaking from reliving the nightmare.

Tsunade expression softens. "Hinata, I am sorry that you went through that. When you are a kunoichi, you tend to come across certain dangers that a male wouldn't normally find themselves in. Despite that fact, that shouldn't have ever happened to you."

I sniff and wipe my tears away, trying to compose myself. At least she's understanding.

"H-has something like that ever happened to you before?" I ask.

"I have," Tsunade answers without hesitation and I blink in surprise. "A few times, in fact. Sometimes I was forced into those situations and sometimes I put myself in those situations for the sake of the mission."

I furrow my eyebrows in confusion. "You intentionally put yourself in a situation like that on a mission? Was it for espionage?"

"I can't disclose those missions with you, but I will just say yes," Tsunade replies and I give her a baffled look.

Why would she ever do that even if she had to remain undercover. Maybe I can understand if she was masking as a prostitute or another related role, but I could never picture myself purposefully putting myself in a position to get sexually assaulted.

"How did you get over being… sexually assaulted?" I question.

Tsunade arches an eyebrow. "Who says that I have?"

Panic bubbles up inside of me and I frantically wave my hands. "I-I'm s-sorry! I didn't-"

Tsunade flicks her wrist in a dismissive manner. "Its fine. I just don't like it when unwelcomed people get too close to me, especially near my breasts. It usually ends with somebody getting punched."

I nod. "So, it at least sounds like you've learned to cope with it?"

Tsunade crosses her arms. "Unfortunately. Like I said, this is something nobody should ever go through. But, I had so I needed to learn how to deal with it so it wouldn't prevent me from compromising my missions. I found that talking about it and making sure people were aware that I didn't like them being too close to me made me feel better."

Hmmm, will talking about it to other people make me feel better? I don't feel any better when I just spoke with Tsunade. In fact, I feel worse. Maybe it is because the event is recent and I'm still traumatized about it. I could wait awhile and then try talking about it again to someone I'm close with and see how I feel, then.

"I want to help you get through this, Hinata," Tsunade continues. "I don't want to let this one misfortunate event impact you forever and prevent you from doing your best on your missions. You are capable of becoming a splendid Shinobi, but most importantly you are good person with a kind heart and don't deserve to have this incident haunt you."

Her words touch me and I find myself tearing up again. "Thank you, Tsunade-sama. I really appreciate that."

"Whatever you need to help you get through this, I will try my best to meet any requests, if you have any," Tsunade says and then sighs. "With that, I do have to do something about you killing our most important captive, Hayai. While I do understand your reasoning for doing so, you were told to bring them back alive, and we are in a predicament, now. Shinobi from Kumogakure are going to arrive within the next week or so to take back their Rouges and are not going to be pleased that one out of the three men are deceased. Plus, we lost some critical information that we could've had. Because of the negative effects from your actions and for disobeying orders, you will be off duty for the rest of the week, your next ten missions will be D-ranked ones, and you will not be appointed leader for the next five advanced missions."

I raise my eyebrows. That's it? That's all the punishment that I get? I mean, it's still a shitty punishment but I was expecting-

"You looked confused. Is there a problem?" Tsunade asks.

I quickly shake my head. "No, I was just expecting something more severe… like a demotion."

"This is actually pretty harsh for a first offense," Tsunade admits. "When it comes to punishment, I have to think about the circumstances that caused you to did what you did, your ranking, and history as a Shinobi. You have an impressive record and was just recently promoted to Chunin. This was only your second mission as a leader so you are still learning."

"I understand," I say. "Once again, I apologize for my actions and I will be more cooperative and careful on my next mission as a leader."

Tsunade nods. "Good. Now, I don't have anymore to say to you unless you have anything else you want to talk about?"

"Just for future reference, do you have anybody that a Shinobi can talk with if they go through something traumatic?" I ask.

"We have the hospital for physical trauma, but we don't have anybody that specializes in therapy for Shinobis," Tsunade replies. "We are just expected to talk about it to those we are close with, maybe have a few days off, and then deal with it or get over it."

So, we have Shinobi as young as twelve running around on missions that can lead into killing others, getting injured, witnessing horrifying things, and so on yet we don't have any counselors to help cope with a traumatized person? That's not healthy.

"Oh, alright," I say and bow. "That's all I wanted to say so I will be heading home."

Tsunade gives me a small wave. "Have a good evening, Hinata. Tell your father that his version of the report will be sent in a few days like usual."

Shit, I totally forgot that my father was going to find out about all of this! He is totally going to flip once he hears what I did. Hopefully he'll be more forgiven when he reads the details of my kidnapping incident.

I exchange goodbyes with Tsunade and make the trip home.

Yeah, the more I think about it the more I realize that it's going to take a while before I will feel comfortable enough to retell my story to anybody else. I'm still shaken up just retelling my experience to Tsunade so I think I'm just going to take advantage of this week off by training and hanging out with my family and friends.

Speaking of my friends, I hope they aren't too upset with me, especially Kiba. He's the most pissed at me and I need to apologize to him in a few days for going off on him once he has settle down. And, I'm giving it a few days before it takes someone like Kiba a long time to get over something.

I should talk with Neji, too, since we live in the same compound. I don't want him thinking any differently of me just because I had a weak moment.

"Is that you, Hinata?" a voice suddenly asks, disrupting my thoughts. I spin around to see Kazyou standing behind me, holding a green bag. He waves. "It is you!"

My eyes widen in surprise and I walk over towards him. "Good evening, Kazyou! How have you been adjusting to Konoha?"

Kazyou smiles. "I've been getting around pretty well. Konoha is a beautiful village with lots of places to explore and the people here are very friendly."

"I'm glad to hear that you are enjoying yourself," I say. "I just got back from a mission so I'm heading home for the day."

"Yeah, I'm heading home myself. I just did a little grocery shopping," Kazyou tells me and lifts up his bag. "How did your mission go?"

"Overall, it went pretty well. However, like any mission, it has its ups and downs."

Kazyou nods in understanding. "Ah, I see. The mission you were on when you rescued me got a bit chaotic, too, huh?" Nah, this past mission was a "bit chaotic" while that mission was a total catastrophe. "By the way, thank you once again for saving me. I haven't seen the other two around to personally thank them. I guess everyone is just busy."

I bow. "It is no problem. Yes, we are all usually pretty busy but I'm sure you will come across Sakura or Sasuke soon. We usually get a few days off after a mission."

"I'll keep my eyes peeled," Kazyou says and waves, again. "Well, I bet you are tired so I will stop bothering you so you can go home and rest. You have a great evening, Hinata. It was great seeing you, then."

I wave. "It was good seeing you, too. Take care!"

We part ways and I continue my trip home.

I'm glad that Kazyou is adjusting well to his new life in Konoha. Being told you are in a totally different time period after being trapped for many years would be difficult to get over. However, if he can learn to deal with that then I can learn how to cope with my problem.

Feeling slightly better with that mindset, I jump onto a roof and run the rest of the way home.

 **Author's Note: I am so sorry for my long hiatus. My life has been busy these past couple of months: I've moved into my own place, I am preparing for grad school, and I am in the process of writing a book. I never lost interest in this fanfic, but I kind of got stuck with how I wanted for this story to proceed since I kept changing things up so I created an outline so approximately the next 20 chapters are planned out so I should be updated at least once or twice a week like I used too. Anyways, this concludes the end of this arc (Finally lol) so I hoped you enjoyed this chapter!**


	44. Chapter 44: Blank Period

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Playing the Role of the Byakugan Princess**

 **Blank Period**

 **Chapter forty-four**

I am standing on a black, barren ground and above me, right in between the red clouds, is a giant full moon the color of blood. I feel a tap on my shoulder and I turn around to be greeted by a stab through the stomach. I gasp and glance up to see a teenage version of Itachi glaring down at me, wielding a sword. With shaky hands, I attempt to remove the sword but I find myself unable to move as he repeatedly pulls the sword out and stabsrandom places on my body.

Next, he kills me by slitting my throat.  
The next time, he kills me by stabbing through the eyes and into my brain.  
After that, he kills me by decapitating my head.  
Then, he decides to torture me at by slowly dismembering my arms and legs and then finishes up the act by ripping my heart out.  
Finally, he decides to torture me again with his Sharingan until I am clawing at my own eyes and pulling out my hair and finishes by strangling me to death.

Suddenly, the world dissolves around me and I find myself floating over a pit of flames. Below me are flames and above me is nothing but eternal darkness. The elderly woman is gone and in place of her is the most beautiful yet terrifying man I have ever laid my eyes on. He is tall and slender with no clothes on and has long black hair that cascades down to his waist with piercing emerald eyes, a sharp nose, and a small mouth with thin delicate lips. Those are the parts that made him beautiful. What contradicts that is the same manic smile that Hidan had and that same insane look in his eyes. His pale skin seems to be melting in some places and dripping with blood in others all the while having the symbol of Jashin embedded in his stomach. Two large wings of blood extend out of his back as a tail of flesh swung from behind. Where his arms and legs should be is nothing but straight veins and bones and a black aura engulfs his entire being.

"You should have repented and gave in to my Way!" Jashin yells. "I WILL NOT FORGIVE SUCH SINS!"

What sins?! I try to shout back but my voice betrays me and nothing comes out.

He suddenly appears before me and begins to wrap his flesh like tail around my body as he strokes my head with his veins and bones. Blood begins to drip onto my cheek and slowly begins to spread all over my body, as if it is trying to swallow me up. Without warning, my vision in my left eye is gone and Jashin is holding the eyeball in his "hand". He rolls the eye around before popping it like a water balloon and all I can do is watch with my remaining eye. Piece by piece he begins to dismember me until only my right eye is left. I watch as he takes my dismantled body parts and proceeds to do inhumane things with them such as eating them, breaking them into smaller pieces, spurting the fluids and blood on himself, and tossing the leftovers into fire below me. He picks up my eye and looks into it with a ridiculous smirk before tossing me into his mouth and chomps his teeth down, causing me to explode into nothing.

Then, I find myself in a forest and leaning against a tree as Sakon stands in front of me, rolling around the right eye in his hand that Jashin was just playing with.

"This is what you get for killing Ukon, you fucking bitch!" he shouts. "Fuck your fucking clan! Who cares you're the spoiled bratty ass heiress of it! This eye is now mine and the other will be soon! Ha ha ha ha ha!" He starts laughing maniacally.

I try to stand up and fight back as he inches towards my left eye, but I couldn't move once again. So, I just wait for him to suddenly start screaming and grabbing his head and nothing happens as his sticks his hand straight into my left eye socket and rips my eye right out.

I can't see! Why am I going through this all again?!

My vision suddenly comes back and see that Hayai is hovering over me, pinning me to the floor.

"Virgins are worth more money, but I'll still get a hefty cut even if I have my way with you," Hayai informs me.

No, no, no, no! Not this!

He leans in and roughly sticks his tongue into my mouth and starts to kiss me. I try to push him away, but he continues to slobber on me. Then, he pulls back to yank my hair back and starts to lick and nibble on my neck and collarbones. I try to twist my head back, but he tightens his grip around my neck to prevent me from doing so. After a few seconds, he let's go of my hair and travels his hand slowly down to my breasts. He cups and squeezes them for a moment before he grabs the bottom of my shirt and starts to slide it over my head. He releases his hold on my neck briefly to successfully pull it off, but he doesn't stop there. He goes on to tear off my bra and shorts as I lie there, hopelessly, until I am completely naked.

"Ah, this is much better," he mumbles, tracing his fingers down my abdomen. "Let's have some fun, eh?"

Lowering his pants, he begins to crawl on top of me…

"Aiyahhhhh!" I scream out, flailing around.

Wait, I'm able to move on my own again?

My eyes flutter open and I realize that the nightmare has finally ended as I see the sunlight peeking through my bedroom windows. I sit up and wipe the cold sweat from my forehead as I try to control my breathing.

That… that was terrible; worse nightmare to date. It included some of my terrible moments as a Shinobi. Is it because I finally gave into my emotions and killed Hayai the reason these repressed memories are haunting my dreams? This shit has got to stop. I don't see any other person from the Konoha 12 having nightmares like this or acting strange!

At least my room is still soundproofed from my last round of nightmares so I hope I didn't wake anybody up with my screams. But, I'm wide awake now and pumped with adrenaline so maybe I should take some of this feeling out on something.

Getting out of bed, I throw on some workout clothes and over to the training yard to beat up some wooden posts. As I start hitting the post, I imagine myself hitting my enemies each time.

That's for fucking up Sasuke's life, Itachi!

That's for fucking up my mind, Jashin!

That's for taking my fucking eyes, Sakon!

That's for almost fucking me, Hayai!

"Hinata," a voice suddenly says, disrupting my training session. I jerk back into reality and turn to see my father standing on the porch with arms crossed, looking at me with a mixture of curiosity and concern. "It seems like you are training hard this morning."

With him saying that, I notice that I am breathing heavily and my palms are all bruised up and bloody. How long have I been out here training? Well, at least I feel alot better, now.

I rub my hands together. "I figured I practice my strikes since I haven't trained in a long time since I was on back to back long-winded missions."

My father nods in approval. "That is a good way to start your day off. You must never get rusty when it comes to the Gentle Fist. You always have to be precise and sharp."

"Yes, sir," I say without much enthusiasm since he's told me that a million times before.

"By the way, Hinata," my father begins to say and I freeze up. Is he about to ask how my mission went? Has he already received the report? It is too early for him to have it already! I tried to act as normal as I could last night when I arrived home so he wouldn't suspect anything was wrong. "You have a visitor by the name of Genta Ebisu here to see you."

I raise my eyebrows in surprise. "Ebisu?"

I wonder why he's coming by to visit. Maybe he wants to see how I am faring with Lightning Release since he hasn't seen me before my mission to Yugakure.

"So, it appears that you know him," my father says. "Would you have any clue as to why he would be visiting this early in the morning? If I recall, he is not your squad leader."

I tense up as a million excuses come flying through my mind. I mean, I don't really think my father would care that I'm learning things other than the Gentle Fist, no matter what I had said to Ebisu or to Hanabi when she found out. I just want to keep this training secret until I learn some actual Lightning Jutsus and perfect them so I can impress him one day.

"I don't really know," I lie. "Maybe he is here to see how I'm doing since he helped me improve on my chakra control for the final rounds of the Chunin Exams."

"Ah, yes. You did spend some time training with him. Well, hurry up and make yourself presentable so you don't keep him waiting."

I bow. "Yes, sir." I almost forgot that my father knew about that; he just doesn't know that I've continued training under him.

Staying in my training clothes, I rush to the bathroom to comb my hair and wash my face and then make my way to the front yard. Unlike last time when I caught Ebisu admiring the flowers, he is waiting for me by the front gate. Sighing, I walk over towards him.

"Good morning, Ebisu sensei," I greet him with a bow and he greets me back. "Why are you standing all the out here?"

Ebisu gives me a nervous look. "When I asked to speak to you, I didn't expect your father to come out. I had to give him further claracfifion of who I was before I could see you. So, I am standing here so I don't create any suspicion between us."

Ew, he's making it sound like we're dating or something.

I shake my head. "I apologize about that; I suppose he is taking an off day since he is usually training or in his office at this time of day. He doesn't suspect anything."

Ebisu wipes his brow. "Whew, that's good news." Then, he grows serious and clears his throat. "I am just stopping by to see if you have improved with your Lightning Release training."

I smile. "I have. I have great control and I've actually taught myself how to incorporate lightning into my chakra blasts. It has been very useful on my past two missions."

Ebisu binks in surprise. "That sounds interesting. I would like to see that myself if you have the time, and if you don't mind."

I feel my mood lift. Once I prove that I have improved, he might teach me a jutsu!

"I have the week off so I have all the time in the world," I inform him. "I don't mind coming with you." "Good to hear, good to hear. Should you go tell your father that you are leaving?" Ebisu asks.

I glance back at the compound and then shrug. "No, I believe it will be fine."

Ebisu nods and then we head off towards the Eighth Training Grounds.

"You can show me whenever you are ready," Ebisu says to me as I get into place.

I nod in response and create a Shadow Clone to use as my practice partner. While she positions herself away from me, I start to manipulate my chakra flow to spread out throughout my body as I begin to pump my tenketsu to open and shut. I feel my chakra start to waver and vibrate and then I release a chakra blast infused with lightning towards my Shadow Clone. The lightning blast makes contact with the clone and I watch as the lightning surges through her body and they disappear with a poof. I turn to see Ebisu's reaction and he appears pleased.

"It seems that you have great control of your Lightning Release," he tells me.

My ears perk up with excitement. "Does that mean you're going to teach me a jutsu?" I ask before thinking and then I cover my mouth.

Ebisu raises his eyebrows. "... Yes, I was planning on teaching you one if you has proved to me that you were ready." I feel my cheeks grow red as he clears his throat and pulls out a scroll. "Here."

I take the scroll out and unravel it. "Lightning Release Bullet: Powerful Breath," I read. "So, I just concentrate my chakra into my fist and activate the lightning by thrusting it forward?"

Why is there the word "bullet" in the name when it has nothing to do with the jutsu?

"Correct," my instructor says. "I thought having a long-range technique in your arsenal would be useful." A long-range jutsu? Hell, yeah! "I figured it would take you awhile to master this jutsu. But, if you are able to release a lightning infused chakra blast from all the points in your body then I don't believe you're going to have any trouble with focusing on one part."

"Just from watching you, I can already tell it is going to take you awhile before you are able to keep that lightning ball together once it leaves your hands," Sasuke says. "You have no problem controlling the chakra, but it is a whole other thing trying to keep it compressed together. I think you should hold that off until you are more skilled. You don't want to keep wasting your time and energy doing that when you can do other things with your Lighting Release."

I wince as I remember Sasuke's words shortly after I was caught in the mini explosion of the lightning ball I was trying to create. I didn't have a problem with making the ball of lightning, but I did have trouble gathering focus and manipulating the lightning ball at the same time. Even though it sounds like I'm just shooting out a bolt of lightning, it is still going to require focus while trying to channel it out at the same time.

"You don't look confident," Ebisu points out and I snap out of my thoughts.

"No, no," I say, waving a hand. "I'm fine."

I read over the scroll a couple more times before rolling it up and tucking it in my pocket. The directions seem simple enough.

Ebisu clears his throat. "Alright, well let's get started, then." He walks up in front of me to demonstrate. "Remember when you first learning Lightning Release and I had you try and create sparks in the area between your hands? Well, you will be doing something similar by concentrating the chakra into your fist." He pulls his hand into a fist and blue sparks flare to life. "Like this, so let's start off by doing that first."

I clench my right fist and close my eyes as I begin to channeling a small amount of chakra into it while simultaneously opening and closing the tenketsu points throughout my arm and hand. After a few seconds, a blue charge flickers and grows until it is more visible, crackling loudly. Since this is my first time doing this, I don't want to make it too big. So, I go ahead and extend my fist out and a small dart of lightning shoots out and fades away.

Hey! Nothing blew up!

I try it again, this time creating a bigger spark… and then the discharge explodes in my fist before I am able to move it. The small impact knocks me to the ground and I cough as the smoke enters my airways.

"Well, you started off well," Ebisu tells me as helps me up. "It looks like you created the spark too quickly the second time. I know that learning a new jutsu is exciting, but you have plenty of time to master this so just start off slow."

I hum in understanding as I wipe the soot off me and begin to practice some more.

* * *

I spend the next four days training on how to learn my new jutsu. Ebisu spent the first two days with me before he deemed I could handle practicing on my own since he had something else to do. To be honest, the jutsu is coming easy to me. After screwing up a few times, I quickly got the hang of things and zapping out lightning bolt just as easy as I can blink my eyes. The next step is to make the bolt bigger and to see how long my range with this attack can go. So far, my limit is six feet.

When I'm not practicing my jutsu, I am working on my speed and chakra blasts. Facing an enemy that was as quick and strong as Hayai has made me realize that I need to learn how to defend myself from people like him. I know that not future enemies will be both fast and strong, but I need to know how to handle both types, especially the more macho Shinobi. Most of the time, I can just rely on my technique and intelligence when fighting someone quick, but my Gentle Fist won't reach a person who relies on their strength if I can't get to them or faze them.

Since I have trained the past four days, I decide to spend the rest of my days off hanging out with friends and family since training has improved my mood and distracted my mind a bit, even though I've been having the same nightmares these past few days.

The person I chose to see first is Shikamaru since I haven't seen him in a month and I want to see how his first mission as a Chunin went and just catch up. Eventually, I'll ease my way to coming around and apologizing to Kiba, Shino, and Team Guy.

I approach Shikamaru's house, after a quick workout and breakfast, then knock on the door.

"Good morning, Hinata!" Shikamaru's mother says as she opens the door. "What a surprise! You must be here to see Shikamaru."

"Good morning. And, yes, I am," I reply. "I was hoping he wouldn't be busy today, but it sounds like he isn't at the moment."

"He is still asleep, but I was planning on having him do some things for me later," his mother informs me.

"I don't mind helping out and keeping him company," I tell her. "I have the day off."

His mother's face lightens up. "If you don't mind, that would be great! Knowing my son, he will drag out all of the errands so he will finish quicker with you around." She beckons me to come in. "Why don't you ahead and wake him up while I make breakfast? Have you eaten?"

I nod. "I have already. I will just wake him up and wait on him to get ready."

"Okay. I will make a little extra just in case you change your mind," she says as I walk in and she heads off to the kitchen.

Activating my Byakugan, I find Shikamaru sleeping like a baby in his bed and I make my way to him. I slowly push open the door, tiptoe over towards him, and bend down come I can be face to face with him. I start to shake his shoulder and he groans.

"Ugh, why are you waking me up?" Shikamaru grumbles, rubbing his face. "I'm off today." When I don't say anything back, he opens his eyes up to the sight of my intense eyes and bulging veins. "Agh!"

Startled, he leaps out of bed and crashes onto the floor. He curses and rubs his head as I bust out laughing. "Ha ha ha! Oh… oh you're reaction was priceless! Ha ha ha!"

"Shut up," my teammate mumbles as he gets up. "What are you doing here, anyways?"

I roll my eyes. "It is great to see you, too, Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru rolls his eyes back at me. "Don't be like that. You know what I meant."

"I just wanted to see how you were doing since I haven't seen you in a month," I tell him, deactivating my Byakugan. "Your mother told me that you were doing some tasks for her today so I volunteered to help out so we can catch up."

Shikamaru stops rubbing his head and sighs. "She hasn't told me I was doing anything for her. Of course she would do this on my day off. Man, what a drag."

"Oh, quit complaining. At least you get to see me!"

"That makes everything worse."

I squint my eyes towards him. "Well, someone's grumpy in the morning. Just hurry up and get dressed. You're mother is making you breakfast."

I leave his room to give him some privacy and make my way to the kitchen. "Do you need some help?" I ask his mother.

She shakes her head. "I heard his reaction so you've already did enough by waking Shika up."

I cover my mouth to stifle a giggle. "Ah, yes. My Byakugan can be disturbing."

Shikamaru's mother turns and smirks. "I bet he'll stop whining about my wake up calls from now on."

After giving in and eating a second breakfast, Shikamaru and I head off to the forest nearby to find and collect antlers.

"Do the deers here shed their antlers often?" I question as we search.

"No," Shikamaru says. "Deers usually shed their antlers once, maybe twice, a year when it gets colder. The deer in this area typically shed their antlers throughout October, November, and December while deer up north due so in January through March. The clan gathers as much as we can find to help create medicine here in Konoha, although we aren't going to find much in this forest. The majority of our deer reside in the Nara Clan Forest outside of Konoha because it is much larger."

"That sounds pretty cool. I would like to visit that forest with you sometime."

"Actually, you can't. Outsiders of the Nara clan are not allowed."

I shrug. "Oh, that's understandable."

Every clan has their secrets. Speaking of the Nara Clan Forest, isn't that the place that Hidan originally was buried?

"So, how have you been?" I ask. "How did your first mission go as a Chunin?" I remember Shino mentioning on our last mission that Shikamaru was a remarkable leader and things went smoothly, but I didn't get any details on what the mission was about.

Shikamaru spots a couple of antlers and picks it up. "It went better than I thought it would. Nothing too impressive happened; we just escorted a merchant back to his village up north. Now, my second mission was more of a bitch. I went on an espionage mission with Ino and Sakura to spy on a guy who was accused of committing fraud. Turns out, he was able to have alibi while scamming people at the same time because he was working with his identical triplet brothers. Anyways, let's just say that going on a mission with the two of them is such a drag. You think Sakura can be annoying by herself, but put her with Ino and it's hell."

I chuckle. "They didn't get along?"

Shikamaru scoffs. "When do they ever? They almost blew our cover multiple times by arguing over stupid things like what they should henge as."

I sweatdrop. "Sounds like you had a lot on your plate."

Shikamaru sighs. "At least it was a successful mission. How did your last mission go? Sakura told me a bit about your first mission. I can't believe you guys went head-to-head with Jashin, if it was really him."

"Yeah, it was a really intense first mission as a Chunin," I say, wincing as I recall it. "I think everything is still being investigated." Then, I grow quiet as I decide what to say about my previous mission. I was so into catching up with Shikamaru that I didn't think about what to say in advance when he asked about me.

Shikamaru picks up on my hesitation. "What's up?"

Should I tell him what happened to me? I'm still not comfortable with talking about it…

I meet his eyes and give him a fake smile. "It was a difficult mission, to be honest. We went on a search and rescue mission that involved finding two teenage girls that were kidnapped to sex traffickers. The mission was both a success and a failuree, so that part is a little conflicting."

Shikamaru furrows his eyebrows. "Did something happen to the girls?"

I shake my head. "Nothing happened to the girls; we were actually able to save them. It is just… things may happen on a mission to a person that will leave them shaken for awhile. But, things will be alright if they work through it and remain strong."

Shikamaru curls his lips, as if trying to assess what I just told him, and then says, "I agree, but that person doesn't have to go through their problems alone. I'm sure they have some comrades that will be glad to lend them support."

Yes, I know. You're a wonderful friend, Shikamaru. He can take a hint and just allow me to let him know that I'm going through something, but I don't want to talk about it and know that he won't question me or give long-winded advice.

We spend the rest of the morning collecting antlers and just chatting about random things, enjoying each other's company.

* * *

After eating lunch with Shikamaru and his mother, I leave and head into town to see if I can find anyone else to hangout with. I went by Sasuke's and Naruto's apartment, but nobody answered the door. Then, I decided to go about Sakura's house and am told by her father that her and her mother were out for the day. So, I just wander around town until I spot Naruto, Sasuke, and Ino chilling together on a side street. I go to greet them, but I am interrupted by Naruto holding up a flashlight to Ino and her shrieking and smacking him away.

"Um… should I just back away slowly?" I tease, not knowing what I'm about to witness.

The trio turns their attention towards me and Naruto instantly rushes over to me. "Hinata! We're so lucky you're here!" He looks over at his teammates. "She can help us find out with her Byakugan."

I blink in confusion. "Help you do what?"

Sasuke shoves his hands in his pockets and begins to walk off. "Please, this is lame. You can count me out. We've already finished today's mission so I'm outta here."

"Wait, Sasuke!" Naruto calls out. "What if he has lips… like a blimp?" Sasuke stops walking, but doesn't turn around. "Or… buck teeth?"

I shoot Ino a puzzled look and she crosses her arms. "Naruto is trying to convince us to help him find out what Kakashi-sensei looks like underneath his mask." She lowers her voice. "It sounds stupid, but interesting at the same time so I'm off for it. But, Sasuke isn't."

I widen my eyes and rub my hands together in giddy. "I'll help!"

Ino shoots me a look of shock. "R-really? That didn't take in persuading at all."

I shrug. "I have nothing else to do."

Naruto pumps his fists in the air. "Alright! Hinata's in, Sasuke, so you have to help us, now."

Sasuke spins around and comes back with a selected expression. "Whatever. I'll go."

I grin. "So, what do you have in mind, Naruto?"

Naruto rubs his chin. "Hmm, I was thinking we take him out to lunch. He'll have to take his mask off to eat! But, things are different, now, since you're here, Hinata."

I wave my hand. "Hold up, hold up! Why don't we go along with your plans to see if we can use our Shinobi skills and trick him into removing his mask? That sounds more fun!"

Ino nods, "I agree! If that doesn't work, we'll just use our Byakugan and you can use Transformation Jutsu to show us what he looks like."

Our antics go like I barely remember them going originally: we took him out to lunch but a sudden rush came in as soon as he went to eat that we couldn't see him through that crowd and then we tried to follow him through Konoha, but he didn't put himself in any situation that involved removing his mask. Fed up, the four of us hide behind a wall as he sits in a tree to read his book and I activate my Byakugan. I focus my vision on him and gasp at what I see.

"What?! What do you see?" Naruto excitedly asks.

Ino clamps a hand over his mouth. "Shut up, Naruto! He'll hear you!"

Sasuke doesn't say anything but I can tell he's interested about what I just saw.

I sweatdrop. "First off, he's wearing five masks."

Team Seven blink in disbelief. "F-five masks?"

"And, he has some genjutsu going that won't allow me to see through his last mask. Everything is all distorted." I turn to Sasuke. "You like to prove how talented and cool you are, Sasuke. Why don't you sneak up on Kakashi-sensei and try to break the genjutsu with your Sharingan?"

Naruto starts giggling from under Ino's hand as she coughs to cover up her own laugh. Sasuke narrows his eyes at me and turns his head, sticking his nose up in the air. "Humph. I'll be able to do that when I see an opening."

I give him a thumbs up and open my mouth to give him another sarcastic remark, but suddenly Kakashi appears out of nowhere, popping up in the middle of all of us.

"Now, what are the four of you up to?" he asks, flickering his eyes over at all of us and we all tense up. "Hinata, why do you have your Byakugan activated? You searching for something?"

Shit! Abort mission! Abort mission!

"I...I…"

He leans in closer. "Or, were you spying on me?"

I clam up and frantically shake my head. "No, no, no. Just like you already asked: we were just searching for something."

Kakashi pulls back. "Oh, well, alright. What are you trying to find?"

"We were… we were…" I stammer, looking around at my friends for some support but they are just as dumbfounded as I am. "Um… uh… bye!"

I quickly make some hand signs and substitute my body with the nearest trash can and make my escape by leaping onto of a roof.

"Hinata! Where are you going?! Get back here!" Naruto shouts as I run off.

Hey, it was his idea in the first place and I volunteered out of kindness because I am a great friend. But, they weren't having my back so I was forced to flee.

Still, I really wanted to see what Kakashi looks like under his mask. I forgot what he looks like.

An image of Kakashi with blimp lips fills my mind and I chuckle.

Still, I had a pretty good day. My friends did what I hoped they would do and cheered me up. Hopefully these next few days are just as joyful so I can be focused and ready for my next advanced mission!

 **Disclaimer: I know not much happened in this chapter except she is training to learn a new jutsu, but this isn't a filler chapter I promise! All of my chapters have purpose and these type of chapters are needed, and sometimes my favorite to read/write, in a Naruto fanfic! Next chapter starts a new arc so be prepared!**


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